Self-service modular drop safes with deposit creation capability

ABSTRACT

Novel modular smart management devices in the form of drop safes include the modular components of a chassis, door and technology cabinet. The drop safes enable retailers to make cash deposits quickly and safely within or near their own facilities. Various technology, including RFID readers, RFID tags, and other equipment allow the drop safes to identify each deposited bag. Employees utilize specialized apps on their mobile devices to facilitate deposit creation and other tasks. Novel methodologies for accessing the drop safes for emptying employ single-use, time-expiration type authorization codes along with other security measures to minimize risk and to provide other benefits. Novel structures along with methodologies for replacing, on-site, modular components with auto-detection of functionality during initialization and re-initialization enables for efficient replacement and upgrading of components, including the upgrading of safes to provide additional functionality.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/003,120, filed Aug.26, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,164,412, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/898,868, filed Sep. 11, 2019, bothof which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Cash handling can be a slow, manual process that consumes valuable time,money and resources. It can also be a security risk to employees andplaces of business.

The present invention is directed to novel modular money smartmanagement devices. For convenience, such modular money smart managementdevices are herein called modular drop safes.

More particularly, the present invention is directed to novel modulardrop safes and novel systems/processes that enable retailers to makecash deposits quickly and safely within or near their own facilities.The present invention further is directed to novel systems/processes forwithdrawing the contents of the drop safes, novel systems/methods forreplacing the modular components of the drop safes, and novelsystems/methods for converting one type of drop safe into another typewith different and/or expanded capability. The present invention isparticularly directed to self-service modular drop safes with thesefeatures designed to be placed within retailer facilities that enableretailers to utilize their own mobile devices or employee badges to makecash deposits into the drop safes that track the location of thedeposits and facilitate credit to the retailer for those deposits.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With hardware engineered for efficiency, the drop safes of the presentinvention provide a more intuitive experience for all users. By securingin-store deposits in a fast and simplified way, the drop safes empowerteams to spend less time on hardware training and more time on essentialbusiness activities.

The incorporation of deposit identification methodologies worksseamlessly with Brink's software applications to accept physical cashdeposits without the need for an on-device display. Users can generate,scan and drop deposits conveniently from within the store.

Once deposits are made into the inventive drops safes, a credit processis initiated and physical cash is protected from loss. Employees whopreviously drove to the bank to make deposits can now remain safely inthe store and focus on customers. Businesses using armored car servicesno longer need to rely on scheduled pickups. Retailers no longer haveresponsibility for the cash at the point of deposit, and the cash iscollected from the drop safes periodically or when filled to capacity.

The present invention includes several main embodiments: the Brink's Boxdrop safe (called, for convenience, “the Brink's Box”), the Brink'sB-Safe drop safe (called, for convenience, “the B-Safe”), and theBrink's Small Form Factor Cash Recycler drop safe (called, forconvenience, “the Recycler Safe”). The names of these embodiments areprovided merely for convenience and ease of reference. Variations ofthese embodiments and other embodiments of the invention also arediscussed.

The Brink's Box is a secure cash management device designed to acceptcash deposits in sealed bags called Smart Bags herein. Digital depositsare created using Brink's software applications, and deposit bags arescanned and dropped into a Brink's Box to transfer custody from thebusiness to Brink's (or other facilitator). Deposits accepted into theBrink's Box are then transmitted to a central server for validation,then to the retailer's associated bank account. Advance creditaccelerates bank deposits.

The B-Safe is a secure cash management device designed to acceptindividual notes through integrated bill validators as well as Smart Bagdeposits. Bill validators eliminate the need for employees to count cashand create deposit bags. This added functionality speeds up the depositprocess and enables fast till skims.

The Recycler Safe is a secure cash management device designed to acceptand recycle notes via an integrated small form factor cash recycler. TheRecycler Safe also accepts Smart Bag deposits. By employing a small formfactor cash recycler, the recycler's bill dispenser dispenses notes thathave been accepted by the recycler's bill depositor, thus improvingproductivity and operational efficiency.

After a safe verifies the identity of an employee, which may be achievedin several different ways, employees make deposits by simply insertingnotes into the bill validator. By identifying the employee for eachdeposit, user access is tightly controlled, and each transaction isregistered back to the employee, enabling full tracking of chain ofcustody. Credit for deposits accepted into the B-Safe, the Brink's Box,the Recycler Safe, or other embodiments described herein is provided tothe associated bank account.

These and other features and benefits of the invention are describedherein.

To achieve the foregoing the following are brief summaries of some ofthe various embodiments of the present invention and some of thenumerous aspects/features of those embodiments.

In accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention, theinventive modular drop safe comprises three modular components: achassis, a door and a technology cabinet. The chassis includes a set ofwalls that define an internal storage space (along with an opening forthe door). The door is coupled to the chassis and movable between openand closed positions. The door includes at least a controllable digitallock designed to lock and thus be maintained in a closed and lockedposition. The door, when unlocked, can be opened. The door also includesa lockable bag drop slot designed to be controllably unlocked to allow abag (e.g., a deposit bag containing something of value) to be placedwithin the bag drop slot and to cause the bag within the bag drop slotto fall within the internal storage space of the chassis. The technologycabinet is to the exterior of the chassis and has various technologyincluding at least one (or more) processor adapted/designed/programmedto provide control data to the digital lock and the lockable bag dropslot on the door so as to control those functional devices in the door.The door may include other functional equipment, such as a billvalidator and/or a small form factor cash recycler, or other equipmentfor use by the retailer. In addition, the technology cabinet includes areader designed/adapted/programmed to identify bags (e.g., deposit bags)placed within the internal storage space of the chassis and providesuser identification and authentication in all communications.

As an aspect of these embodiments of the present invention, the readerin the technology cabinet is an RFID reader, and the chassis includes,placed within its internal storage space, at least one RFID antenna.Also, a set of cables extend between the RFID reader within thetechnology cabinet and the RFID antenna(s) within the chassis. The RFIDreader is designed/adapted/programmed to use the RFID antenna to detectthe IDs of RFID tags within bags that are placed within the internalstorage space of the chassis.

As a further aspect of the invention, the inner portion of the chassisincludes electronic devices that consists only of the RFID antenna(s),cables, and the RFID tags of any bags that are placed within theinternal storage space of the chassis.

As another aspect of the invention, the technology cabinet includes areader adapted/designed to detect a unique ID of some sort (externallyprovided), and the processor within the technology cabinet controls thebag drop slot to unlock when the reader detects the unique ID of adeposit bag that includes at least one item of value to be depositedwithin the modular drop safe.

As an additional aspect of the invention, the unique ID is a barcode ora QR-code placed on the exterior of the deposit bag, and the coderepresents the ID of the deposit bag.

As yet a further aspect of the invention, the reader within thetechnology shelf is an RFID reader that reads the ID of an RFID tagwithin a deposit bag to be deposited, and the bag drop slot is openedupon reading that ID.

As yet another aspect of the invention, the technology cabinet includesa reader for detect a unique ID that represents an identity of theperson seeking access to the bag drop slot of the drop safe. Thetechnology cabinet controls the bag drop slot to unlock when the readerdetects the unique ID of a person who is deemed to be authorized toaccess the bag drop slot. The unique ID can be a code (e.g., barcode orQR-code) displayed on the person's badge or the ID of an RFID tag withinthe badge (or using other type of communication with the badge).

As still yet a further aspect, the technology cabinet includesshort-range communication equipment adapted to receive a request from amobile device of the person seeking access to the bag drop slot of thedrop safe, and to receive from the mobile device data identifying thecurrent location of the mobile device. The technology cabinet is adaptedto control the bag drop slot on the door to unlock if it is ascertainedthat the person associated with the mobile device seeking access to thebag drop slot of the drop safe is authorized to access the bag drop slotand the mobile device is within a predetermined distance from the dropsafe's location.

As still yet another aspect, the technology cabinet includes a housingalong with RF communication equipment placed within that housing, andthe housing is made of a material(s) that permits the pass-through of RFsignals to and from the RF communication equipment external to thetechnology cabinet.

As another aspect of the present invention, the drop safe can beconverted into a drop safe having different functionality. Inparticular, the door is a first modular door, and the modular drop safeis configured to allow the first modular door to be replaceable with asecond modular door without moving the modular drop safe from itscurrent position. The second modular door includes a controllabledigital lock and a lockable bag drop slot that are the same as thecontrollable digital lock and the lockable bag drop slot of the firstmodular door, and the second modular door further includes at least onebill validator. As a further aspect of the invention, the drop safe canbe converted into a recycler safe that includes a small form factor cashrecycler. The drop safe can be converted into other types of safeshaving yet different functionality.

As an additional aspect of the invention, the door includes a pair ofbill validators and the chassis includes a bin placed below the billvalidators to catch notes that pass through those bill validators.

As yet a further aspect of the invention, neither of the bill validatorsincludes or utilizes a cartridge designed to hold a preset number ofnotes that have passed through one of the bill validators.

As yet another aspect of the invention, the technology cabinet is fullyremovable from the chassis without any need to open the door or toaccess the internal storage space of the chassis.

As yet an additional aspect of the invention, the technology cabinet isremovably coupled to the top of the chassis via at least one mountingrail. The mounting rail (or rails) is adapted/designed to allow thetechnology cabinet, when not fixed to the chassis, to be slidablerelative to a position of the chassis, and adapted/designed to allow thetechnology cabinet to be fully removable from the mounting rail when themounting rail is at or near its fully extended length.

As a further aspect, the technology cabinet includes memory having aprogram stored therein that, when executed, causes at least theprocessor to perform an auto-detect process, which comprises thefollowing the following steps/activities/functions: communicating witheach functional device placed within the door to ascertain identities ofall functional devices within the door, communicating with a centralserver, via communication equipment within the technology cabinet, theascertained identities of all the functional devices within the door,and receiving from the central server, via the communication equipmentwithin the technology cabinet, program code adapted to enable thetechnology cabinet to control each functional device within the door.

As a specific feature of this aspect, the technology cabinet ispre-programmed, prior to assembly within the modular drop safe, toexecute the auto-detect process upon an initial installation within themodular drop safe. Hence, after assembly of the drop safe and upon itsinitialization, the auto-detect process is carried accordingly.

As another feature of this aspect, the modular drop safe can be modifiedby replacing its current door with a new door, and then the technologycabinet is designed/adapted/programmed to execute the auto-detectprocess after the door is replaced with the new door. Accordingly, thetechnology cabinet ascertains the identities of all functional deviceswithin the new door and communicates that information to the centralserver. The technology cabinet then receives program code that enablesit to control each functional device within the new door. The new doorincludes a controllable digital lock and at least one additionalfunctional device (e.g., the new door may be that of a Brink's Box,B-Safe, Recycler or other type of drop safe mentioned herein).

As a further aspect of the invention, the technology cabinet includesGPS functionality to ascertain its own location, and communicationequipment adapted/programmed to transmit the ascertained location of thetechnology cabinet to a central server in order to provide the currentlocation of the modular drop safe (e.g., to be included in its databaseand for use in created deposit records).

As another aspect of the invention, the technology cabinet includesshort-range communication equipment adapted to communicate with a mobiledevice of the person authorized to make a deposit into the drop safe andto receive data from and to transmit data to that mobile devicepertaining to a deposit to be made or that has been made into the dropsafe. In a particular embodiment of the present invention, the data istransmitted to the mobile device for the purpose of the mobile devicesubsequently transmitting the data to the central processor for furtherhandling, such as to create a deposit record corresponding to thetransmitted data (and possibly for providing a credit to the retailer).In this “disconnected” embodiment, the drop safe has no capability tocommunicate with the central server via an RF communication protocol,that is, via Wi-Fi, cellular (e.g., LTE/4G) or other mid or long-rangecommunication technique.

Various other aspects and features associated with the apparatus/systemembodiments of the present invention are provided in the detaileddescription section below. Other apparatus/system embodiments also arefurther discussed and the foregoing should not be construed to representthe only apparatus/system embodiments of the invention.

In accordance with certain method/process embodiments of the presentinvention, in summary form, the present invention entails creating adeposit into a drop safe placed at or near a retailer location by thefollowing steps. Receiving, by the central server, deposit informationfrom a mobile device, the deposit information including at least anidentity of a thing of value to be deposited into the drop safe.Receiving, by the central server, an ID of a deposit bag that includesthe thing of value to be deposited. Creating, by the central server, adeposit record associated with the ID of the deposit bag and thatincludes data pertaining to the deposit information received from themobile device. Receiving, by the drop safe, either the identity of theperson to deposit the deposit bag into the drop safe or the ID of thedeposit bag. Unlocking, by the drop safe, the bag drop slot based on thereceived identity of the person or the received ID of the deposit bag.Receiving, by the drop safe, the deposit bag. Verifying, by the dropsafe, that the deposit bag is within an internal storage space of thedrop safe after receiving the deposit bag. Communicating, by the dropsafe to the central server, upon verifying, that the deposit bag iswithin the internal storage space of the drop safe.

As an aspect of these embodiments, the thing of value is an amount ofmoney, and the method further comprises arranging, by the centralserver, to provide a monetary credit to the retailer in accordance withthe amount of money in the deposit bag based on the deposit informationin the deposit record that was received from the mobile device.

As an aspect of these embodiments, the drop safe receives the identityof the person by scanning a code on the person's badge (or other thinghe/she is carrying) in which the code represents the identity of theperson. The method further comprises transmitting, by the drop safe, thescanned code to the central server, ascertaining, by the central server,the identity of the person based on the transmitted scanned code, andascertaining, by the central server, if the identified person isauthorized to use the drop safe and, if so, transmitting an unlockinstruction to the drop safe. Unlocking, by the drop safe, of the bagdrop slot comprises unlocking the bag drop slot upon receipt of theunlock instruction from the central server.

As a further aspect of these embodiments, the method further comprisingreceiving, by the central server from the mobile device, a request toaccess the bag drop slot of the drop safe, ascertaining, by the centralserver, the identity of the person based on one or more communicationsfrom the mobile device, receiving, by the central server from the mobiledevice, data identifying a current location of the mobile device,determining, by the central server, whether the current location of themobile device is within a predetermined distance of a location of thedrop safe, ascertaining, by the central server, if the identified personis authorized to access the bag drop slot based on at least theascertained identity of the person and whether the current location ofthe mobile device is within the predetermined distance of the locationof the drop safe, and, if so, transmitting an unlock instruction to thedrop safe. Unlocking, by the drop safe, of the bag drop slot is carriedout upon receipt of the unlock instruction from the central server.

As another aspect, the deposit bags within the internal storage space ofthe drop safe are imaged, and the ID of each of the deposit bags isidentified from the imaging.

As an additional aspect, the ID of each RFID tag within the internalstorage space of the drop safe is obtained, and ID of the deposit bagthat is associated with the created deposit record is identified fromthose obtained IDs.

As a further aspect, the ID of each RFID tag within the internal storagespace of the drop safe is carried out by an RFID reader that is placedoutside the internal storage space of the drop safe, in communicationwith at least one RFID antenna that is placed within the internalstorage space of the drop safe.

As a yet another aspect, multiple deposit bags are received by the dropsafe, each including a respective RFID tag, and the IDs of all the RFIDtags are read via the RFID reader.

As a feature of this aspect, the method further comprises ascertainingif a deposit bag dropped within the drop safe is removed from the dropsafe based on data regarding the identified IDs obtained during a seriesof identifications over time of the IDs of the RFID tags within the dropsafe.

As an additional aspect, wherein the thing of value is an amount ofmoney, and the method further comprises creating, by the central server,a respective deposit record that corresponds to each of the plurality ofdeposit bags, and arranging, by the central server, to provide amonetary credit to the retailer in accordance with a total amount ofmoney in the plurality of deposit bags received by the drop safe basedon the created deposit records.

As yet another embodiment, the method comprises receiving, by thecentral server from the mobile device, an identity of the mobile device,and verifying the identity of the mobile device corresponds to anauthorized employee of the retailer associated with the drop safe.

As yet a further embodiment, the method further comprises receiving, bythe central server from the mobile device, data identifying the currentlocation of the mobile device, identifying the drop safe associated withthe current location of the mobile device, and associating data receivedfrom the mobile device with the identified drop safe.

As yet an additional embodiment, the method comprises including theidentified current location of the mobile device within the createddeposit record.

As a further aspect, the method further comprises identifying the dropsafe nearest to the current location of the mobile device, andcommunicating data to the mobile device regarding the identified dropsafe nearest to the current location of the mobile device for subsequentconveyance to the user of the mobile device.

As a feature of this aspect, navigation instructions from the currentlocation of the mobile device to the identified drop safe are providedto the mobile device for use by the user of the mobile device.

Various other aspects and features associated with these process/methodembodiments of the present invention are provided in the detaileddescription section below.

In accordance with certain method/process embodiments of the presentinvention, in summary form, the present invention entails accessing adrop safe placed at or near a retailer location for the purpose ofemptying it by a messenger. The method comprises scheduling, by thecentral server, to arrange a messenger to empty a drop safe placed at ornear a retailer location, receiving, by the central server, data from amobile device of the messenger that includes an identification of themessenger and a current location of the mobile device, verifying, by thecentral server, that the identified messenger is authorized to empty thedrop safe, receiving, by the central server from the mobile device, acode that uniquely identifies the drop safe, identifying, by the centralserver, an identity of the drop safe based on the received code,ascertaining, by the central server, a location of the identified dropsafe, determining, by the central server, whether the current locationof the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of theascertained location of the drop safe, generating, by the centralserver, a one-time authorization code to open the drop safe if thecurrent location of the mobile device is determined to be within thepredetermined distance of the ascertained location of the drop safe,communicating, by the central server, the generated one-timeauthorization code to the mobile device, receiving, by the drop safefrom the mobile device, the one-time authorization code communicated bythe central server, determining whether the received one-timeauthorization code corresponds to the one-time authorization codegenerated by the central server, and unlocking and opening a door of thedrop safe to provide access of the drop safe by the messenger, forsubsequent emptying, if it is determined that the received one-timeauthorization code corresponds to the one-time authorization codegenerated by the central server.

As an aspect of these embodiments, the code that uniquely identifies thedrop safe corresponds to a computer-readable code displayed on the dropsafe that is taken by a camera of the mobile device.

As a further aspect, the code that uniquely identifies the drop safe isthe ID of an RFID tag associated with the drop safe that is read by areader on or associated with the mobile device.

As another aspect, the location of the identified drop safe isidentified by the drop safe itself (e.g., using its own GPS), which istransmitted to the central server.

As an additional aspect the one-time authorization code is atime-dependent code, and the method further comprises determining, bythe central server, whether the received one-time authorization code wasreceived by the drop safe within a preset amount of time of when theone-time authorization code was generated and, if not, the unlocking andopening of the door of the drop safe is inhibited.

As yet a further aspect of the invention, the one-time authorizationcode generated by the central server is based on multiple data elementsincluding at least data relating to the identified messenger and datarepresenting the identity or location of the drop safe.

As yet another aspect, the one-time authorization code is displayed bythe mobile device, which is then scanned using a reader within the dropsafe.

As yet a further aspect, the one-time authorization code is wirelesslyreceived from the mobile device via a short-range communicationprotocol.

As yet an additional aspect, prior to unlocking and opening the door ofthe drop safe, the ID of the RFID tag of each bag deposited within thedrop safe is identified to identify all bags within the drop safe thatare to be removed by the messenger upon unlocking and opening the door.

As a feature of this aspect, the number of bags within the drop safe tobe removed are transmitted to the mobile device for subsequentinstruction to the messenger.

As a further feature, after the door of the drop safe is unlocked andopened to enable access by the messenger, the central server receivesfrom a device operated by the messenger removed bag transmitted datathat represents the IDs of all deposit bags that have been removed bythe messenger (e.g., the messenger scans each deposit bag as it is beingremoved from the drop safe or scans at a later time). The central serververifies that the transmitted removed bag data corresponds to the IDs ofall the RFID tags that were identified to be within the drop safe priorto the unlocking and opening the door of the drop safe.

As a further aspect, the RFID reader is placed exterior to the internalstorage area of the drop safe using at least one RFID antenna placedwithin the internal storage space of the drop safe.

As another aspect the door is closed and locked, and the ID of an RFIDtag of any bag remaining within the drop safe after the door is closedand locked is ascertained to determine whether all bags within the dropsafe had been removed prior to the closing of the door. As a feature, ifa bag is detected within the drop safe, the messenger is informed.

Additional aspects and features associated with these process/methodembodiments of the present invention are provided in the detaileddescription section below.

In accordance with certain method/process embodiments of the presentinvention, in summary form, the present invention entails a method ofreplacing a technology cabinet of a modular drop safe. The methodcomprises servicing a modular drop safe that includes a modular chassis,a modular door, and a modular technology cabinet, each having certainfeatures. Servicing includes: physically removing the technology cabinetfrom the chassis, disconnecting the set of cables between the technologycabinet and the door, connecting the set of cables between a newtechnology cabinet and the door, coupling the new technology cabinet tothe chassis, and initializing the new technology cabinet to enable themodular drop safe to function during to provide control data and powerto the various functional devices of the drop safe.

As an aspect of these embodiments, the steps employed to replace thetechnology cabinet are all carried out without the door being moved toits open position and without any need to access the internal storagespace of the chassis.

As a further aspect of these embodiments, the drop safe being servicedemploys a set of cables that extend from the door from within theinternal storage space of the chassis and extend from within theinternal storage space via an opening in the chassis to the technologycabinet.

As another aspect of these embodiments, initializing the new technologycabinet comprises ascertaining, by the processor of the technologycabinet, identities of all functional devices within the door,communicating, by the technology cabinet to a remote central server, theascertained identities of all the functional devices within the door,and receiving, by the technology cabinet from the central server,program code adapted to enable the technology cabinet to control each ofthe functional devices within the door.

As an additional aspect of these embodiments, the technology cabinet ofthe drop safe being serviced includes a reader adapted to identify bagsplaced within the internal storage space of the chassis.

As a feature of this aspect, the reader is an RFID reader and thechassis of the modular drop safe being serviced includes, placed withinthe internal storage space, at least one RFID antenna coupled to theRFID reader via an antenna cable, the RFID reader and the RFID antennacollectively adapted to ascertain IDs of RFID tags placed within theinternal storage space of the chassis. Here, the step of disconnectingfurther comprises disconnecting the antenna cable between the RFIDreader in the technology cabinet and the at least one RFID antenna inthe chassis, and the step of connecting further comprises connecting theantenna cable between the RFID reader and the at least one RFID antenna.

As yet a further aspect of the invention, the technology cabinet of themodular drop safe being serviced is coupled to the top of the chassisvia at least one slidable mounting rail. During the method, the step ofphysically removing the technology cabinet from the cabinet entailssliding the technology cabinet, via the slidable mounting rail, from aposition fully on the chassis to a position fully off the chassis, andthe step of coupling the new technology cabinet to the chassis entailsinstalling the new technology cabinet to the slidable mounting rail andsliding, via the slidable mounting rail, the new technology cabinet to aposition fully on the chassis.

Additional aspects and features associated with these process/methodembodiments of the present invention are provided in the detaileddescription section below.

In accordance with certain method/process embodiments of the presentinvention, in summary form, the present invention entails a method ofconverting/servicing a modular drop safe by obtaining access to themodular drop safe (the door is unlocked and moved to its open position),disconnecting the set of cables from the door, physically removing thedoor from the chassis, physically installing a new door onto thechassis, connecting the set of cables to the new door, andre-initializing the technology cabinet to enable the modular drop safeto function to provide control of and power to the functional deviceswithin the new door.

As an aspect of these embodiments, the new door has a different set offunctions than the replaced door, and reinitializing entailsascertaining the identities of all the functional devices within the newdoor, communicating those identities to the remote central server, andreceiving by the technology cabinet program code adapted/designed toenable the technology cabinet to control each of the functional deviceswithin the new door.

As a further aspect of these embodiments, the door physically removedfrom the chassis includes a controllable digital lock and a lockable bagdrop slot, and the new door includes a controllable digital lock and atleast one bill validator (i.e., a Brink's Box is converted to a B-Safe).

As another aspect of these embodiments, the door physically removed fromthe chassis includes a controllable digital lock and a lockable bag dropslot, and the new door includes a controllable digital lock and a smallform factor cash recycle (i.e., a Brink's Box is converted to a RecyclerSafe).

As additional aspects of the present in invention, a drop safe of onetype can be converted into a drop safe of another type (i.e., withdifferent functionality) by physically replacing the door as summarizedabove and then re-initializing the technology cabinet.

In addition to the foregoing, process embodiments that correspond to theforegoing summarized apparatus embodiments are provided and, conversely,apparatus and/or system embodiments that correspond to the foregoingsummarized method embodiments are provided. Hence, the above-summarizedembodiments, aspects and features are illustrative and non-limiting.

Various other objects, advantages and features of the present inventionwill become readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art fromthe following detailed description of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description, given by way of example and notintended to limit the present invention solely thereto, will best beappreciated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals denote like elements and parts, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary of the Brink's Box present invention;

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary of the B-Safe present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the Brink's Box;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the B-Safe;

FIG. 4A is a schematic illustration of the Recycler Safe;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of the Smart Bag of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the various entities involved in theprocesses of present invention;

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary chassis of the drop safes of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary exterior of the door of the Brink's Box;

FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram of the door of the Brink's Box;

FIG. 10 shows an exemplary exterior of the door of the B-Safe;

FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram of the door of the B-Safe;

FIG. 12A shows an exemplary chassis of the B-Safe that includes anexemplary bin that captures notes that pass through the B-Safe's billvalidators;

FIG. 12B shows an exemplary bin liner within the exemplary bin thatcaptures notes that pass through the B-Safe's bill validators;

FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram of the Recycler Safe;

FIG. 14A is a block diagram of the technology shelf of the presentinvention;

FIG. 14B shows an exemplary front exterior of the technology shelf;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of configuring the tech shelf in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 16A shows an exemplary exterior of the rear of the technology shelfin accordance with one particular embodiment of the technology shelf;

FIGS. 16B, 16C and 16D illustrate how the technology shelf is removedfrom the drop safe in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 16E shows an exemplary top of the chassis with the technology shelfremoved in certain embodiments;

FIGS. 17A to 17G show various view of the interconnection between thechassis and tech shelf in accordance with another embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 18A and 18B show structures for securing a door to a chassis inaccordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 18C and 18D show structures for securing a door to a chassis inaccordance with a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a flowchart of the deposit creation process of the presentinvention;

FIG. 20 is a flowchart of the bill insertion process of the presentinvention; and

FIGS. 21A and 21B collectively show a flowchart of the messenger pickupprocess of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention entails modular money smart management devicesthat enable retailers to conveniently and quickly make cash depositswithin their own facilities to minimize security risk, time andresources. Retailers use their own mobile devices (e.g., smart phones,tablets, etc.) to facilitate a cash deposit within the modular devicesof the present invention and receive real-time information about thosedeposits on those same mobile devices. Withdrawal of the contents arecarried out by messengers utilizing their own mobile smart phones orother smart hand-held device. The present invention further entailsvarious novel processes for making deposits, novel processes forremoving deposited contents, novel processes for replacing modularcomponents within the devices, and novel processes for converting thosedevices for expanded, enhanced or otherwise modified capability.

The modular money smart management devices, in many of the embodimentsdescribed herein, are modular drop safes. However, some embodiments (orvariations of other embodiments) may not employ a drop slot. Forconvenience, each of the embodiments described herein (and theirvariations) are referred to herein as a “drop safe.” Accordingly, theterm “drop safe” as used herein includes safes that include a drop slotthat accepts the Smart Bag of the present invention or other type ofbag, envelope or receptacle containing something of value, and alsoincludes safes that may not include a drop slot but otherwise accept anote or other thing of value (e.g., via a bill validator).

The drop safes of the present invention, with their modular design, arequickly configurable, serviceable, upgradeable, and designed to allowfor upgrading to include future-developed functionality/capabilities. Aswill be described, and as one example of the drop safes' upgradeablecapability, a Brink's Box (i.e., a drop safe without bill validators) ismodifiable on site to be converted/upgraded into a B-Safe (i.e., a dropsafe that includes bill validators).

The drop safe in accordance with one embodiment of the present inventionis called, for convenience herein, a “Brink's Box” (as mentioned above).An exemplary Brink's Box is shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. A drop safein accordance with another embodiment of the present invention iscalled, for convenience, a “B-Safe” (also as mentioned above). Anexemplary B-Safe is shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. As will bediscussed, the primary difference between the Brink's Box and the B-Safeis that the B-Safe includes currency acceptance, identification andauthenticity verification equipment. Such equipment/technology iscapable of accepting a note, recognizing its denomination, verifying itsauthenticity, and dispensing the note (within the safe). As understoodwithin the art, bill validators serve this functionality and thus may beemployed within the various embodiments, as appropriate, of the presentinvention. The operations of both the Brink's Box and B-Safe are furtherdescribed below.

The drop safe in accordance with a further embodiment of the presentinvention is called, for convenience here, a “Recycler Safe” (asmentioned above). As will be described, the Recycler Safe includesequipment/technology that both accepts and dispenses notes in acontrolled manner. A small form factor cash recycler carries out suchfunctionality and may be employed.

In accordance with yet other embodiments of the present invention, theB-Safe and the Recycler Safe may be modified to omit a drop slot (andthus do not accept a dropped Smart Bag or other dropped bag, envelope,or receptacle containing something of value). These and otherembodiments are further discussed below.

In addition to the function, operation, and benefits of the Brink's Box,the B-Safe, the Recycler Safe and other embodiments/variations describedherein, including the novel techniques for emptying these devices, abeneficial feature of the present invention is the ease in which onetype of drop safe of the present invention, which is already installedand operating at a retailer location, is easily converted into anothertype of drop safe of the present invention. Other features and benefitsof the present invention are discussed.

Brink's Box: Brief Hardware Overview

FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a Brink's Box 10 in accordancewith the present invention. Brink's Box 10 includes three maincomponents: a chassis 100, a door 200, and a technology cabinet 300.

Chassis 100 is designed to securely hold deposited bags of money (orother things of value) and may be manufactured from any suitably strong,industry-acceptable material. Chassis 100 includes dropped item settingtechnology 110 designed to identify individual bags that have beendropped within the chassis. In one embodiment, the chassis includes aset of RFID antennae 110 (to be described). In another embodiment,optical recognition technology 110 is employed. Other technology toidentify each individual dropped bag may be used.

Chassis 100 includes an inner volume (storage 120) that serves as astorage compartment sufficient to hold a certain number of dropped bags.The number of dropped bags that a drop safe can hold generally will bebased on the needs of the end-user. Exemplary numbers of dropped bagsthat can be held, which usually are based on the size of the chassis,include 25, 30, 35, 50 80, 110, 150, etc. An optional customer storagecompartment 130 also may be provided.

The door 200 of the Brink's Box engages with chassis 100 and includes alockable bag drop slot/mechanism (drop door mechanism 210) to enable thedropping within the safe of deposit bags (also called Smart Bags herein)that contain cash, coin and/or other items of value. Door 200 istailored for use with Brink's Box 10 and doesn't includes any billvalidators. Door 200 also includes a digital lock and associated boltwork 220 that can be opened only by an authorized messenger employingthe cash removal process described herein. The electronics of door 200are controlled via cabling (via door interface 222) from the Brink'sBox's technology cabinet 300.

Technology cabinet 300 is coupled to the top of chassis 100 and includesthe bulk of the processing and communications of the Brink's Box 10.Technology cabinet 300 is also referred to herein, for convenience, asthe technology shelf, or more simply, the “tech shelf” Tech shelf 300includes system controller and communications 310, dropped itemidentification and authentication 320, and user and dropped itemauthorization 330. Exemplary structural components that correspond tothese modules include a main controller board, an RFID reader, abarcode/QR-code scanner/reader, to be discussed. In otherembodiments/variations, other technology is employed to perform droppeditem identification and authentication, as well as user and dropped itemauthorization, to be discussed.

B-Safe: Brief Hardware Overview

The B-Safe 20 is schematically shown in FIG. 4 . B-Safe 20 is similar toBrink's Box 10 and includes the three main components of a chassis,door, and tech shelf. The B-Safe's chassis is identical to the Brink'sBox's chassis 100. The B-Safe's tech shelf is identical (at leasthardware-wise) to the Brink's Box's tech shelf 300, but the tech shelfof the B-Safe controls its door differently than how the Brink's Box'stech shelf 300 controls its door. The control/function/operation of thetech shelf (for each embodiment) is discussed in detail in the DetailedDiscussion section provided below.

B-Safe 20 employs a different door than the door of the Brink's Box. Inparticular, B-Safe 20 includes a door 400 that includes the capabilityto accept a note, recognize its denomination, verify its authenticity,and dispense the note (within the safe's chassis). In the exemplaryembodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 , a pair of bill validators 430 carryout these functions. Accordingly, retailers are able to deposit singlecash notes (i.e., bills) in the B-Safe of the present invention. Thereceived notes are stored within a storage space 440 (within the chassisof B-Safe 20). Door 400 also contains a bag drop slot (drop doormechanism) 410 and a digital lock/locking mechanism (digital lock andbolt work) 420 similar to those in the Brink Box's door 200. Also, likethe Brink's Box, the electronics of door 400 (i.e., the bill validators,the digital lock/bolt work, and bag drop slot) are controlled andcommunicated with via cabling (via door interface 422) from thetechnology cabinet 300.

In the B-Safe embodiment, storage space 450 within the chassis holds thedropped bags. Also, the B-Safe's chassis may include a storage bin 442and a liner 444 (for that bin) to capture the notes that have beenaccepted by the bill validators. The inventive features of B-Safe 20 arefurther described.

Recycler Safe: Brief Hardware Overview

The Recycler Safe 30 is schematically shown in FIG. 4A. Recycler Safe 30is similar to the Brink's Box 10 and the B-Safe 20 in that it alsoincludes the three main components of a chassis, door, and tech shelf.The Recycler Safe's chassis is identical to the chasses of the otherdrop safes. The Recycler Safe's tech shelf also is structurallyidentical to the other drop safes. However, the tech shelf of theRecycler Safe controls its door differently in that it further controlsthe function/operation of the small form factor cash recycler includedwithin the Recycler Safe's door.

The Recycler Safe's door 450 includes a bag drop slot (drop doormechanism) 460 and a digital lock/locking mechanism (digital lock andbolt work) 470, like those in the Brink Box and B-Safe. Storage space495 within the chassis holds the dropped bags.

The Recycler Safe's door 450 further includes a small form factor cashrecycler (bill depositor 480 and bill dispenser 482) to recycle notes asneeded.

The electronics of door 450 (i.e., the small form factor cash recycler,the digital lock/bolt work, and bag drop slot) are controlled andcommunicated with via cabling (via door interface 472) from the RecyclerSafe's technology cabinet 300.

Other embodiments of the drop safe, which include different hardware andfunctionality are discussed in the sections below.

The drop safes of the various embodiments of the present inventionaccept banknotes contained within the dropped Smart Bags, via the billvalidators, via the small form factor cash recycler, and/or via otherequipment that accept banknotes. For convenience, the term “note” or“notes” as used herein refers a banknote (or banknotes). Other commonterms for a banknote include “bill,” “money,” “cash,” “paper money,” and“paper currency.” These terms, along with the term “note” and other liketerms, are used interchangeably herein to refer to a banknote.

Smart Bag: Overview

The embodiments of the present invention that include a bag drop slotare designed to receive a tamper-evident sealing deposit bag, alsoreferred to herein as a Smart Bag. The Smart Bag is utilized byretailers to make deposits in the manner described herein. The Smart Bagof the present invention includes active and/or passive technology thatenable technology within the drop safes of the invention to uniquelyidentify each deposited Smart Bag.

In one embodiment, which is schematically shown in FIG. 5 , Smart Bag500 is shown to be comprised of a bag 510 that includes certaininformation printed (or otherwise provided) on the exterior of the bag.Such information includes a unique barcode 512 and a human-readableidentification number 514. Preferably, the barcode 512 represents thesame human-reader number 514.

For convenience herein, the term “printed,” “printed information,”“printed text” and the like includes information, numbers, text andother indicia (e.g., icons, graphics, photos, pictures, etc.) that areprovided in a manner that is viewable by a person and/or viewable by acamera (and the like), whether or not such information is actuallyprinted. For instance, the information may be engraved or otherwisevisibly provided (without actual being “printing”). Accordingly, theterm “printed” and other like terms are used to broadly indicate visibleinformation.

In other embodiments and variations, rather than providing printedinformation (or in addition to providing printed information), suitabletechnology is employed to provide the information in an audible fashion.For instance, in one embodiment, Smart Bag 500 includes the capabilityof audibly providing the human-readable identification number 514. Suchfunctionality is beneficial under certain circumstances, such as inareas of low-light, for use by the visually impaired, and/or in othersituations. Since technology for providing audible information is wellknown, further details are not discussed herein except whereparticularly necessary for an understanding of the present invention.

Smart Bag 500, in certain embodiments, includes an RFID tag 520 embeddedwithin the bag 510. The placement of the RFID tag and the printedinformation may be provided at different locations than that shown inFIG. 5 . The RFID tag 520 preferably is an industry-standard Ultra-HighFrequency RFID tag, although other types of RFID tags may be employed ifappropriate. The ID of the RFID tag may represent the same numberrepresented by the barcode and/or the human-readable identificationnumber.

In another embodiment, an RFID tag is omitted from the Smart Bag. In yeta further embodiment, either the unique barcode or the human-readableidentification number is omitted. In alternative embodiments, ratherthan using a barcode, other computer-reader indicia is employed. Forinstance, a QR-code may be used.

In the various embodiments, the Smart Bags may be sized to accommodatethe needs of the retailer end-users. For instance, the Smart Bags may besized to accommodate, 50 notes, 100 notes, 150 notes, 200 notes, 250notes, etc. Moreover, the Smart Bags may be sized to allow coins to beincluded. In yet other embodiments, the Smart Bags may be sized toaccommodate other items of value (including things of sentimentalvalue).

As will be further described, each Smart Bag that is dropped into a dropsafe of the present invention is identified/detected by employing thedrop safe's dropped item identification and authentication capabilities.In certain embodiments to be described, the drop safe employs RFIDtechnology capable of reading the ID of the RFID tag contained withineach Smart Bag. In certain other embodiments, the drop safe employsvisual recognition technologies. In certain embodiments, a combinationof identification and authentication capabilities are employed.

Other Equipment: Overview

The safes of the present invention work in conjunction with users'mobile smart phones or smart tablets, such as an iPhone, iPad, Androidsmart phone, and the like. For convenience herein, the terms “mobiledevice,” “mobile phone,” “smart phone,” “portable device” and the likeare interchangeably used herein to refer to and include all cellulartelephones that support wireless communications protocols, and includeportable tablets and other portable electronic devices, such as the iPadmobile device, that support wireless communications protocols, such ascellular communication, Wi-Fi communication protocols, Bluetoothprotocols and/or other long-range, mid-range and short-range protocols.In certain embodiments, the mobile device includes locationidentification capability, such as GPS.

The drop safes of the present invention communicate with and work inconjunction with a central server (or other remote computing system) viathe Internet, cellular communication, or other form of long-rangecommunication. FIG. 6 is a block diagram that shows the variousdevices/entities that are involved in the processes of the presentinvention. In particular, the various devices/entities include theretailer 600, a cash processing facility 700, a messenger service 720,and the retailer's bank 750. Although four entities are shown,additional entities may also be involved. Further, a single entity maycarry out the functions of two or more entities and, thus, the totalnumber of entities involved in the process may be different than thatshown in FIG. 6 .

Retailer 600 includes an associated drop safe 610, which may be theBrink's Box 10, the B-Safe 20, the Recycler Safe 30, or other drop safeembodiment or variation thereof as described herein. The drop safe 610may be placed within the retailer location or at another locationaccessible to employees of the retailer.

As used herein, a “retailer” is a company providing goods and/orservices, such as a retail store (e.g., department store, supermarket,grocery store), a transportation provider (e.g., an airline, a buscompany), etc. For convenience, the generic term “retailer” is usedherein to refer to a company that provides goods and/or services inexchange for money and where that retailer sometimes (perhaps often)accepts physical cash in exchange for such goods and/or services. Incertain embodiments, a retailer may receive something of value (otherthan notes/coins) that is intended to be temporarily stored within adrop safe of the present invention. For convenience, the term “thing ofvalue” is used herein to refer to one or more notes, coins, and/or otheritem(s) that has value.

Drop safe 610 may be physically placed within the retailer location,such as within a back office. The drop safe also may be placed withinthe physical space of another retailer (e.g., a neighboring store) thatis accessible to personnel of the retailer, or within a common area. Theterm “common area” refers to a space accessible to multiple entities,such as multiple retailers, so that a drop box located in such commonarea is accessible and thus usable by multiple entities. For example, acommon area may be placed within a shopping mall at a locationaccessible to the tenants of that shopping mall. The common area mayinclude an area within a particular retailer that is accessible to otherretailers. The term “placed” and the like is intended to mean disposedor located, where appropriate.

Other equipment/entities schematically shown in FIG. 6 are discussed inthe following sections.

Processes: Overview

In advance of using the drop safe of the present invention, the retailerprepares for a deposit. In accordance with the present invention, theretailer's manager or other designated person (collectively, forconvenience, “manager”) uses his/her mobile device 620 (referred toherein as “manager's mobile device” or “user's mobile device” or thelike) to start the deposit of a certain amount of notes, coins, and/orother thing(s) of value. As described in greater detail below, themanager executes an app or other software program/application (residingwithin the mobile device or within central server 710 or other remotecomputing device) to facilitate the creation of the deposit. Generally,the manager identifies the notes and/or coins placed within the SmartBag 500, identifies the identification number of the Smart Bag, and thenseals the Smart Bag for subsequent depositing into drop safe 610.Details of the manager's creation of a deposit are described in thesections that follow.

In certain embodiments in which the retailer desires to deposit into thedrop safe something of value (other than notes and/or coins), themanager identifies the thing of value within the app or other softwareprogram/application, identifies the identification number of the SmartBag, and then seals the Smart Bag for subsequent depositing into thedrop safe. Further details are described in the sections below.

The present invention entails novel techniques for depositing a depositbag, e.g., the herein-described Smart Bag, within the inventive dropsafe. As will be described further below, the bag drop slot of the dropsafe is unlocked in various manners, including after the drop safe scansthe barcode printed on the outside of the Smart Bag. The drop slot maybe opened upon reading of the badge of an authorized employee of theretailer, among other techniques described herein. In addition, duringeach drop into the drop safe of the present invention, the drop safe viaits dropped item identification and authentication capability,ascertains the ID of each and every Smart Bag that is currently withinthe safe. This information is utilized to ascertain certain benefitsincluding whether a previously dropped Smart Bag has been impermissiblyremoved from the drop safe (e.g., fished out via the bag drop slot),among other benefits to be discussed.

The drop safe is in communication with the central server 710 (of thecash processing facility 700) that collectively know the identity ofeach Smart Bag that has been dropped in the drop safe, the contentswithin each dropped Smart Bag, when each Smart Bag was dropped, whocreated the associated deposit record for each Smart Bag, who actuallydeposited each Smart Bag with the drop safe, among other information.Details about the function and operation of these features are furtherdescribed.

Based on a schedule or the number of Smart Bags currently in the dropsafe or other reason, a designated and duly authorized messenger(messenger service 720) removes the cash deposits (or other depositeditems) from the drop safe. To initiate bag removal, the messenger useshis/her mobile device 730 (referred to herein also as “messenger'smobile device” or the like) to gain access to the drop safe. Themessenger executes an app or other software program/application(residing within the messenger's mobile device or within central server710 or other remote computing device) to verify the identity of themessenger, the identity of the drop safe to be emptied, among otherthings, which in turn causes the generation of a single-useauthorization code, also referred to herein as a one-time authorizationcode or an “OTA” code. In preferred embodiments, the OTA code has atimed expiration for additional security.

The OTA code is transmitted to the messenger's mobile device that, inturn, provides the OTA code to the drop safe. In certain embodiments,the OTA code is in the form of a QR code (or other displayable code)that is displayed on the messenger's mobile device and subsequentlyread/scanned by the drop safe's QR reader (as part of the drop safe'suser and dropped item authorization capability). In other embodiments,the OTA code is transmitted from the messenger's mobile device to thedrop safe using a communication protocol, preferably a short-rangecommunication protocol. Other embodiments/variations for communicatingthe OTA code to the drop safe are discussed.

Upon receipt of a valid, non-expired OTA code, the digital lock of thedrop safe's door unlocks, thus providing the messenger with access tothe drop safe's internal storage.

Once the safe is opened, the messenger removes all the Smart Bags. Ifthe drop safe is a B-Safe (which includes bill validators) or otherversion of a drop safe that includes bill validators, the messengerremoves all the notes that may be loose or included within an open bagthat is within the drop safe. As will be described in further detail,the safe monitors the existence of the Smart bags that have beenremoved. The messenger replenishes the internal bag from the B-Safe,closes the safe door, and transfers the removed contents to cashprocessing facility 700 for further handling. Certain benefits andfeatures of the invention during this process include verifying that themessenger has indeed removed all the Smart Bags from the safe. If not,the messenger may be notified to return to the safe. Other features andbenefits are further described.

Cash Processing Facility 700 processes the Smart Bags and if applicablethe currency notes, in manners known in the art. In addition, the dropsafes of the present invention enable for retailers to be provided witha credit (e.g., to the retailer's bank account within bank 750) for thecash deposits that are made to the inventive safes.

The Brink's Box, B-Safe, and Recycler Safe: Detailed Discussion

As briefly discussed above, each of the drop safe embodiments of thepresent invention include a chassis, a door, and a tech shelf.

The Drop Safe's Chassis

In accordance with the present invention, the chassis in the Brink'sBox, the B-Safe, and the Recycler Safe, and other embodiments discussedherein, include dropped item sensing technology that is used to identifyeach Smart Bag that has been dropped into the drop safe. In accordancewith certain embodiments, such technology is a set of RFID antennae thatare connected to an RFID reader that is placed within the tech shelf.The RFID antennae, also called for convenience RFID sensors or RFIDpads, are placed on different inner walls of the lower portion (lowercompartment) of the chassis, generally close to where the Smart Bags arestored within the chassis after being dropped into the safe.

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary chassis 100. As shown, a first RFID pad 110 iscoupled to the chassis' inner wall 140 a, a second RFID pad 110 iscoupled to the inner wall 140 b, and a third RFID pad (not shown) iscoupled to inner wall 140 c. A set of cables 150 extending from the RFIDreader within tech shelf 300 are coupled to each of the RFID pads withinthe chassis. Another set of cables 152 are shown within chassis 100 thatconnect the electronics within the safe's door 200 to components withintech shelf 300. Both sets of cables extend within chassis 100 to techshelf 300 via a small aperture within the top or near the top of thechassis.

In accordance with the present invention, the RFID reader within thetech shelf utilizes the RFID pads/antennae 110 placed within the chassisto detect the ID of each of the Smart Bags' RFID tags. With suchequipment, the IDs of several hundred RFID tags can be identified withina few seconds. Accordingly, all the Smart Bags that have been droppedwithin the drop safe of the present invention are, during the variousprocesses described herein, identified immediately upon use of the dropsafe, whether such use is the opening of the bag drop slot, closing ofthe bag drop slot, opening of the safe for content removal, closing ofthe safe, and/or at any other time of operation, as further discussedherein. For instance, the drop safe can be programmed to take aninventory of its contents at periodic intervals of time, such as every 5minutes or every 15 minutes (or other periodic interval of time), toverify dropped bags haven't been removed without authorization, toidentify any newly deposited Smart bags, and/or other reason.

The number of RFID pads may be different. For instance, a drop safe inaccordance with the present invention may employ two RFID padsappropriately placed within the chassis, or may employ another number ofRFID pads. Moreover, the location of the RFID pads may be different thanthat shown in FIG. 7 . For instance, an RFID pad may be placed on thebottom inner surface (i.e., floor) of the chassis or near the top of thechassis, if desired.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the chassis includes sufficient storage space(i.e., storage area 120) for a relatively large number of dropped SmartBags. However, due to financial risk or other reasons, the drop safe maybe programmed to accept a maximum number of dropped Smart Bags that issubstantially less than the chassis' actual physical storage capacity.For instance, a drop safe installed at one retailer location may belimited to a maximum of 30 dropped Smart Bags, or 20 dropped Smart Bags,or other number. In a larger retail environment, the drop safe may beprogrammed to limit the number of dropped Smart Bags to yet a largernumber, such as 45 Smart Bags, 55 Smart Bags, 65 Smart Bags, 75 SmartBags, etc. Other numbers may be employed. In yet other versions (or inaddition to the foregoing), the drop safe may be programmed to accept alimited monetary value, regardless of the number of Smart Bags that thedrop safe may already contain.

As shown in the exemplary chassis in FIG. 7 , the chassis of the presentinvention in certain embodiments includes no electronics or electricalcomponents other than RFID pads 110, cables 150 and 152, andconnectors/interfacing equipment for the cables. As used herein, theterm electronics includes cables, interfacing for the cables, andpass-through cabling/connectors (for the electronics/technology in thedrop safe's door).

In accordance with the B-Safe embodiment of the present invention, whichis illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 , a pair of bill validators 430 areplaced within the upper portion of the B-Safe's door 400. Referringagain to FIG. 7 , the upper portion of the chassis' storage space isemployed to hold notes that have been accepted by the bill validators.In one embodiment, a bin is placed within the chassis to catch/containthe received notes. In another embodiment of the B-Safe, a largesealable bag is appropriately placed within the chassis that capturesnotes that have passed through the bill validators and, in suchembodiment as will described, a messenger who is emptying the contentsof the drop safe retrieves the sealable bag and seals it without theneed for the messenger to physically contact any of the notes that havebeen accepted by the bill validators or otherwise received by the dropsafe.

The Drop Safe's Door

The doors of the Brink's Box 10, B-Safe 20, and Recycler Safe 30 havedifferent configurations, different functions, and differentcapabilities, although some of their functions and capabilities overlapin various embodiments/versions. FIG. 8 shows the outside of anexemplary door 200 of the Brink's Box and FIG. 9 is a block diagram ofdoor 200. FIG. 10 shows the outside of an exemplary door 400 of theB-Safe and FIG. 11 is a block diagram of door 400. FIG. 13 is a blockdiagram of door 450 of Recycler Safe 30, and previously referenced FIG.4A is a block diagram of Recycler Safe 30.

Referring first to Brink's Box 10, door 200 includes bag drop slot 210and digital lock 220 (with associated bolt work) (FIGS. 8 and 9 ).Preferably, bag drop slot 210 includes an “anti-fishing” design thatprevents, or at least minimizes, the risk of a bag within the safe'schassis from being pulled out through slot 210.

Digital lock 220 utilizes bolts and is designed to unlock (as controlledby the tech shelf) upon proper receipt of a one-time authorization (OTA)code. The mechanical/functional construction of the locking mechanismemployed by digital lock 220 is well understood in the art and furtherdescription thereof is not necessary except where necessary toappreciate the present invention.

The B-Safe's door 400 includes bag drop slot 410, digital lock 420, andbill validators 430 (FIGS. 10 and 11 ). Bag drop slot 410 is identicalto bag drop slot 210 of door 200, but bag drop slot 410 may be placedwithin the lower portion of door 400, such as shown in FIG. 10 . Digitallock 420 is identical to digital lock 220 of door 200.

In the B-Safe embodiment of the present invention, a pair of billvalidators are placed near the top of door 400. During operation, eachbill validator 430 is able to receive an inserted note, recognize itsdenomination, verify its authenticity and, if authentic, causes thevalidated note to pass into the safe's chassis. Each bill validator isin communication with the tech shelf's processors and communicates allappropriate data, which includes the denomination of each accepted note.In accordance with the present invention, accepted notes fall directlyinto the safe's chassis without the use of a spring-loaded cartridge.

A single bin, with an optional containment bag (liner), placed withinthe chassis beneath the bill validators is used to capture notes thatare received by both bill validators. FIG. 12A illustrates an exemplarybin 442 placed within the B-Safe's chassis 100 at a position thatcatches notes that are accepted by either bill validator. Accordingly, asingle bin may be employed even though two bill validators are providedwithin the B-Safe. As explained further herein, when a messenger emptiesthe contents of the B-Safe of the present invention, the messengergathers all the notes within the bin and places those notes into anenvelope or other type of container for further processing. If anoptional containment bag is employed, the messenger removes the existingbag and replaces it with a new empty containment bag (liner) that isidentified by the B-Safe.

In accordance with the present invention, by not utilizing cartridgesthat are designed to hold a certain number of notes, the impact of billjams is minimized. Moreover, the note storage capacity of the B-Safe isbased on the size of the storage area within the drop safe's chassis,not by the size of a cartridge.

Since the construction and operation of bill validators are well knownin the art, further description thereof is not provided except whereparticularly necessary for an understanding of the present invention.

FIG. 12B shows a variation that employs an identifiable bin liner 444,which is placed within bin 442, that catches notes that have beenaccepted by the bill validators. During removal of the notes, the binliner is removed from the B-Safe in its entirety (including the noteswithin it) and placed within an appropriate envelope or transfercontainer for further handling. Accordingly, the bin liner allows forthe collection of notes that have been accepted by the bill validatorswithout the need for the messenger to physically contact those notes.These features are further explained during the herein-in provideddescription of the process of emptying a B-Safe in accordance with thepresent invention.

In the Recycler Safe embodiment of the present invention, a small formfactor cash recycler is placed near the top of door 450, such as shownin FIGS. 4A and 13 .

During operation, notes are received by bill depositor 480 and may bedispensed via bill dispenser 482. As would be understood in the art, thesmall form factor cash recycler receives an inserted note, recognizesits denomination, verifies its authenticity and, if authentic, storesthe note in a particular cassette based on its denomination. Notes maythen be dispensed upon receiving a suitable request.

The Recycler Safe's bag drop slot 460 and digital lock 470 are identicalto the bag drop slots and the digital locks of the Brink's Box and theB-Safe.

The Drop Safe's Tech Shelf

The tech shelf is coupled to the top of the chassis, such as shown inFIG. 3 (showing the Brink's Box), FIG. 4 (showing the B-Safe), and FIG.4A (showing the Recycler Safe). A block diagram of tech shelf 300 isshown in FIG. 14A. An exemplary view of the exterior of tech shelf 300is shown in FIG. 14B.

Tech shelf 300 includes various modules/components, including systemcontroller and communications module 310, an auxiliary controller board312, dropped item identification and authentication module 320, user anddropped item authorization module 330, LCD screen/button 340, a lightstrip/diffuser 360, and a power supply 370. As will be appreciated, amodule may be implemented via a single component or multiple components,as appropriate. Moreover, as mentioned further below, variouscomponents/functionality are optional or may be incorporated withinother devices within the tech shelf.

System controller and communications module 310 includes a maincontroller board that controls the various operations of tech shelf 300and includes communications equipment for communicating with the centralserver (or other remote servers) and/or other devices external to thedrop safe. In certain embodiments, LTE/4G communication equipment isemployed. In other embodiments, Wi-Fi communication equipment isemployed. In further embodiments, both LTE/4G and W-Fi communicationequipment are employed. Other forms of communicationequipment/technology, including mid and short-range communicationequipment, may be employed/included within system controller andcommunications module 310.

In variations of any of these embodiments, system control andcommunications 310 includes suitable equipment/capability to carry outmultiple forms/protocols of wireless communication. Non-wireless (i.e.,wired) communication also may be employed. Moreover, some or all thesecommunication capabilities may be implemented via separatecomponents/devices within the tech shelf, whether stand-alone orincluded within modules/devices performing other functionality.

Auxiliary controller board 312 is employed to supply power and to supplyand receive data to various components of the drop safe, including bagdrop slot 210 and digital lock 220 within door 200 (or those componentswithin door 400 of the B-Safe or within door 450 of the Recycle Safe),and other devices. In addition, auxiliary controller board 312communicates with and provides power to bill validators 430 within door400 when the drop safe is configured as a B-Safe in accordance with thepresent invention. Similarly, auxiliary controller board 312communicates with and provides power to the small form factor cashrecycler within door 450 of the Recycler Safe.

The functions of main controller board 310 and auxiliary controllerboard 312 may be modified, combined within a single component/module orimplemented by other components within the tech shelf.

Dropped item identification and authentication module 320 identifies theSmart Bags dropped within the drop safe's chassis. In certainembodiments, this module is an RFID reader that works together with theRFID antennae 110 placed within the chassis. In other embodiments, thismodule employs visual recognition processing that works together withappropriate cameras 110 placed within the chassis to identify the itemsdropped within the chassis. Other technologies suitable for uniquelyidentifying each Smart Bag dropped within the chassis may be employed.

In the embodiments in which dropped item identification andauthentication 320 employs an RFID reader, a set of connectors 322 allowthe direct coupling, via appropriate cabling, of the RFID reader to RFIDpads 110 placed within the chassis. Similarly, in embodiments in whichdropped item identification and authentication 320 employs visualrecognition technology/capability (e.g., using appropriate processing),cameras placed within the chassis are coupled to module 320 viaconnectors 322.

User and dropped item authorization module 330 identifies users who areauthorized to use the drop safe and/or items (e.g., Smart Bags) that areauthorized to be dropped. Module 330 may be implemented using differenttechnology, equipment, and methodologies. In certain embodiments, abarcode/QR-code scanner/reader 330 and associated processor is employed.In other embodiments, non-visual, short-range wireless communicationequipment (e.g., RFID reader, NFC reader) are employed. In yet furtherembodiments, other forms of visual recognition technology, such facialrecognition, biometric analysis (e.g., fingerprint reader), etc., areemployed. Various embodiments/variations are further described.

The tech shelf also includes LCD screen/button 340, which is capable ofproviding instructions to users, such as a countdown timer duringdifferent modes, and is depressible by a user. In certain embodiments,LCD screen/button 340 may be omitted.

Tech shelf 300 is housed within a cabinet or housing 350 constructed ofa material that permits the pass-through of RF signals to enable theenclosure of RF-based communications. For instance, housing 350 may bemade of various types of plastics, as well as Polypropylene (PP),Polypropiolactone (PPL), Polyvinyl chloride (PVC),Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), or other RF transparentmaterials, such as, for example, Polyurethane (PU), Polycarbonate (PC),Fiberglass and Teflon. Accordingly, housing 350 minimally interfereswith RF-based communications between the tech shelf and communicationdevices external to the tech shelf, including cell towers, suitablyequipped mobile devices, Wi-Fi routers, and other communicationequipment.

To inform users of status, mode and other information, the tech shelf'slight strip/diffuser 360 is controlled by the main controller board orother controller of the tech shelf. In some embodiments, the light stripis a strip of LEDs that are mounted along the perimeter of the techshelf. The strip can extend along any side in different versions(including along all sides).

The LEDS within the strip are controlled by the controller board duringthe various operations of the present invention to emit different colorsduring different modes of operation. For instance, the light strip maybe blue during an idle mode to indicate that the system is ready toinitiate a deposit instruction. The light strip may be green during anactive deposit session. The light strip may be yellow during a timedsession. The light strip may be red to indicate something is critical.And the light strip may flash red to indicate that the system isoffline. Other colors may be provided during other modes. Moreover, thiscolor system is exemplary, and another set of color combinations may beemployed to assist the users of the drop safes of the present invention.The diffuser may be omitted in certain embodiments. Other forms oflighting devices, other than LEDs, may be employed in anyembodiment/variation.

Power supply 370 receives externally provided power via a power cord(not shown) and in turn supplies power to the various components withinthe tech shelf.

The tech shelf further includes, in certain embodiments, a GPSchip/module. In a variation, GPS capability may be included within oneof the other devices/modules of the tech shelf. As discussed herein,with GPS capability, the drop safe of the present invention is able toidentify its own location, which is used for security, authenticationand other purposes.

Communication between the various components of the tech shelf may beachieved via USB cables, via Ethernet, or other known communicationdevices/protocols. Communications between the various components and/orother communication devices (internal or external to the drop safe) maybe encrypted as appropriate. Generally, the construction and design ofthe tech shelf of the present invention will be consistent withgenerally accepted communication protocols, which may vary from countryto country. The present invention is not intended to be specific to anyone type of communication protocol. Moreover, since the generaloperation of the various electronic components mentioned herein,communication between the devices, and encryption methodologies are wellunderstood in the art, further discussion of these features, components,and methodologies are not provided herein except where particularlynecessary for an understanding of the present invention.

In further embodiments, communication between the drop safe and thecentral server (or other remote server) may be achieved via a hardwireconnection, which may be necessary in areas of the world where cellular(or other wireless) communication is unavailable or “spotty.” The use ofhardwire for long distance communication is well known and thus furtherdescription is not provided except where necessary for an understandingof the present invention. In addition, the communications antenna can beextended beyond the confines of the tech shelf, if desired, to improvewireless communication with the remote central server. Communication tothe remote server may be via any standard or non-standard wirelesscommunication technique, and may include communication to a nearbyrouter via Wifi or Bluetooth, or other short or mid-range communicationprotocol.

Tech Shelf Configuration and Drop Safe Type Detection

In accordance with the present invention, the tech shelf has the abilityto sense/identify the type of door that is installed on the drop safe'schassis, communicate that information to the central server, and beauto-configured to control all the equipment/functionality of the dropsafe. Such auto-configuration is carried upon installation of the dropsafe at the retailer location, upon installation of a new tech shelfwithin a drop safe already installed at a retailer location, uponon-site conversion of the drop safe from one type to another type, andat other desired times.

After installation of a new drop safe at a retailer location, the techshelf performs a boot-up operation that includes detection of allequipment included within the drop safe's door. In particular, the techshelf detects the presence or absence of individual types of devicesthat may be included within the drop safe's attached door, including abag drop slot (drop door mechanism), a digital lock/locking mechanism,bill validators, a small form factor cash recycler, and other equipmentthat can be included within a door of the various types/embodiments ofdrop safes of the present invention.

Each new tech shelf includes a unique identifier, which may be providedon the tech shelf as a bar code or other computer-readable code (e.g., aQR code). The drop safe also includes a unique identifier, which may beinitially associated with the chassis. For instance, a bar code (orother computer-readable code) is provided on the exterior or theinterior of the chassis. The door of the drop safe also may include itsown unique identifier (e.g., displayed on the interior portion of thedoor).

FIG. 15 shows an exemplary flow chart 800 for configuring the tech shelfin accordance with the present invention. Initially, and after a new (orrefurbished) chassis, a new (or refurbished) door, and a new (orrefurbished) tech shelf are individually mailed or otherwise provided tothe installation site located at a retailer (or common area), anauthorized technician assembles the drop safe (Step 810).

During assembly, the chassis is placed in its permanent position andbolted to the floor or otherwise fixed to its permanent location in amanner that makes it extremely difficult to forcibly move. Any suitabletechnique for permanently installing the chassis may be employed. Thetechnician then installs the door in the manner intended in accordancewith the construction/design of the design, its hinge and the connectiontechnique to the chassis. The present invention provides exemplaryembodiments for door installation, as well as door removal. Asparticularly indicated, installation of the door of the presentinvention (of the various embodiments described) on a chassis may beachieved without any special tools and in the described embodiments,without any tools at all. Further details are provided in thedescription below.

After the door is installed on the chassis, the tech shelf is installed.Any suitable manner of installation may be provided, in accordance withthe particular design of the tech shelf, the chassis, and tech shelfmounting equipment, if any. The present invention provides exemplaryembodiments that show tech shelf installation (and removal), asdiscussed in detail below.

The technician proceeds to attach all cables. In particular, cables thatare connected to equipment within the door pass through the chassis'internal chamber through a small opening/aperture at or near the top ofthe chassis for connection to the tech shelf. Cables from the chassis'RFID antennae (or from equipment within the chassis pertaining to thetech shelf's dropped item sensing functionality) also are connected tothe tech shelf. Finally, a source of power is provided to the tech shelf(e.g., via a power cord that is connected to a power receptacle).

Upon the drop safe's assembly, the drop safe is powered up (e.g., via anappropriate on/off button or depression of the tech shelf's LCDScreen/Button or other appropriate manner). At power up, the tech shelfboots up and begins an initialization process (FIG. 15 : Step 820).

During initialization, the tech shelf obtains the drop safe's uniqueidentifier (Step 830). This may be achieved in various ways. In oneembodiment, the technician takes an image of the drop safe's uniqueidentifier using the technician's mobile device, displays that image,which is then read by the tech shelf's Barcode/QR-code scanner/reader.The unique identifier on the drop safe may be a barcode, a QR code, orother appropriate computer-recognizable indicia. In another embodiment,the drop safe's chassis is retrofitted with a permanently installed RFIDtag with an ID that uniquely identifies the drop safe. That ID isascertained via the same RFID reader of the tech shelf (utilizing theantennas within the chassis) that ascertains the IDs of the RFID tags ofeach of the Smart Bags within the safe's chassis.

In a further embodiment, the tech shelf identifies its own, currentlocation utilizing its own GPS capability, communicates its location tothe central server that, in turn, ascertains the unique identifier ofthe drop safe based on the known location of the retailer or, ifapplicable, the otherwise known location of the drop safe. In yetanother embodiment, the technician manually enters the unique identifierof the drop safe into an appropriate app on his/her mobile device that,in turn, wirelessly communicates that identifier to the tech shelf usingBluetooth, or other short-range communication protocol. Other manners ofidentifying the unique identifier of the drop safe may be employed.

The tech shelf communicates the drop safe's identifier to the centralserver (if not already known). The drop safe's identifier is mated tothe particular tech shelf in use (Step 840). If the tech shelf isreplaced at a later date, this process is repeated to associate the newtech shelf with the particular drop safe being serviced.

The tech shelf proceeds to identify each device that is included withinthe door that is attached to the drop safe (Step 850). Exemplary devicesinclude a bag drop slot, a digital lock/locking mechanism, billvalidators, a small form factor cash recycler, and other equipmentincluding equipment employed within future-enhancements. The tech shelfcommunicates with the detected devices to establish their configurationusing a combination of locally hosted information and connection to thecentral server. The central server, in response, suitably programs thetech shelf to operate as a Brink's Box, a B-Safe, a Recycler Safe, orother type of device, or any appropriate variation thereof depending onthe types of devices within the door that have been identified by thetech shelf (Step 860). That is, the tech shelf is programmed/configuredto align with the door's total functionality.

Once initialized and auto-programmed, the drop safe is ready for use bythe retailer.

The process described with reference to FIG. 15 is repeated uponinstallation of a replacement tech shelf, upon installation of a newdoor, or at other appropriate time. Accordingly, the present invention'sauto-sensing by the tech shelf of the drop safe's capabilities andsubsequent tech-shelf auto-programming allows for the relatively quickinstallation of a new drop safe, a replacement tech shelf, and a newdoor (possibly with additional capabilities).

In addition to such auto provisioning, in certain embodiments, the techshelf includes active location functionality (e.g., GPS), which enablesit to verify and/or validate the location of the drop safe. With suchvalidation, the drop safe's location is verified and other enhancedsecurity measures are possible, including allowing auto-programing orother processes to occur only upon verification that the drop safe islocated at an authorized location.

Moreover, with hardware and logical interfaces of the tech shelfpredefined, the functionality of the drop safe can be modified andupgraded to newer technologies if the functionality and communicationsof the subtended equipment, e.g., doors, adhere to these definitions.The controller within the tech shelf then is able to auto-sense andprovision accordingly.

Technologies and functionalities contained within the tech shelf itselfmay also be enhanced/upgraded as long as the interfacing standards bothdownstream to the door/chassis and upstream to the central server aremaintained. In any of these instances, the new components, tech shelf ordoor are identified and configured upon power/boot up after aninstallation/upgrade action.

Accordingly, with the modular design of the drop safes of the presentinvention, issues need not be troubleshot on-site. Instead, any issueswith the tech shelf preferably are handled through a replacement withanother tech shelf. This is accomplished by detaching the faulty techshelf physically, unfastening and pulling it forward to remove off ofthe rails. Installing the new tech shelf and conducting initialization,auto-sensing, and auto-programming in the manner described herein.Exemplary embodiments and techniques for physically replacing a techshelf with a new tech shelf are described below.

Thereafter, the faulty tech shelf is sent to a service depot to analyzethe root cause of the issues and application of a suitable remedy. Therepaired tech shelf then is placed back into inventory. In light of itsmodular design, the repaired/refurbished tech shelf can be reused forsubsequent repair swap actions.

Auto-sensing and auto-programming of the tech shelf after replacement ofthe drop safe door are handled in a similar fashion. This is the casewhether a door is replaced with a door that is of the same type (i.e.,has the same functionality) or of a different type (i.e., to convert thedrop safe into one of a different type). The old door, whether or notfaulty, is sent to a service depot and assessed for full operability.Faulty doors are repaired. The serviced doors then are placed back intoinventory for future use.

The various steps carried out by the tech shelf of the present inventionduring installation, auto-sensing and auto-programming may be carriedout, if appropriate, in a different order than that described above.Moreover, in certain embodiments, a step or multiple steps may beomitted and/or be unnecessary. For instance, the identity of the dropsafe's unique identifier need not be obtained, if already known. Thismay be the case in the event of replacement of a faulty tech shelf.Auto-detection (i.e., auto-sensing) of the door's capabilities may alsobe omitted if already know. However, auto-detection along with errorassessment substeps may be employed periodically or at designated times(e.g., upon a tech shelf swap) to verify continued functionality of allthe equipment with the door.

In connection with the specifics of auto-detecting and auto-programmingas discussed herein, such functionality (in the broad sense) is wellknown and understood in the art, and thus further discussion ofauto-detecting and auto-programming is not provided except wherenecessary for an understanding of the present invention.

Tech Shelf Replacement

In accordance with the present invention, the tech shelf is removablefrom the drop safe for repair or replacement without the need to accessthe interior of the chassis. A technician or other service personnel isable to service the tech shelf without risk of theft to the drop safe'scontents. Replacement also is achieved in a relatively short period oftime, thus causing, at most, minimal interruption to the operations of aretailer. Moreover, a technician doesn't need to have diagnostic toolsto repair components on site. The tech shelf can also be replaced with atech shelf that includes upgraded electronics over time, thus providingfurther additional capability to retailers as they are developed.

A discussion of how the tech shelf is removed from the drop safe of thepresent invention is described with reference to one particularembodiment of the tech shelf shown in FIGS. 16A to 16E.

FIG. 16A shows the back of an exemplary tech shelf 300 (in accordancewith one embodiment) when connected to the top of chassis 100. In thisexemplary embodiment, chassis 100 includes a bracket 170 extendingupwards from its rear, and a pair of screws 372 are threaded through thebracket into appropriate slots in the back of the tech shelf to securethe tech shelf to the chassis. However, other manners of connection ofthe tech shelf to the drop safe's chassis may be employed.

Data and power will be provided from the Tech Shelf to the chassisthrough connector 176 as shown in FIGS. 16B and 16E. Power to the dropsafe is provided via power connector 376. Air vents 378 also are shownin the rear of tech shelf 300, although the air vents may be placedalong the top, sides and/or front of the tech shelf.

To remove the tech shelf, screws 372 are removed and the tech shelf isgently slid forward along a pair of mounting rails 172 that are placedbetween the tech shelf and the chassis, as shown in FIG. 16B. Thecabinet portion 174 of each mounting rail 172 is secured to the chassis,and corresponding mounting rails are secured to the underside of thetech shelf. Any suitably strong mounting rail (also generally known as adrawer slide) may be utilized. Moreover, cable connectors 176 that areexposed as shown in FIG. 16B are disconnected to facilitate completeremoval of the tech shelf.

After the cables are disconnected, the tech shelf 300 is slid furtherforward along mounting rails 172 as shown in FIG. 16C. As tech shelf 300continues to slide, the tech shelf is fully removable from the mountingrails, as shown in FIG. 16D. FIG. 16E shows the top of chassis 100,looking from the front of the drop safe, with the tech shelf fullyremoved. FIG. 16E shows one of the connectors 176A of cable connectors176, with the tech shelf side connector removed.

FIGS. 17A-17G show a connection structure/technique between the techshelf and the chassis in accordance with another embodiment of thepresent invention. In the embodiment shown in these figures, rather thanemploying screws, a latch plate extending from the chassis is employedto couple and lock the tech shelf in place.

FIGS. 17A and 17B are front and rear views, respectively, of the top ofchassis 100. As shown, a movable latch plate 180 extends upwards fromthe rear top edge of chassis 100 and serves as the locking mechanismthat holds the tech shelf. A cabling harness 182 that extends through anopening in the top of chassis 100 holds the cables that extend betweenthe tech shelf and both the chassis and the door. FIGS. 17A and 17Bfurther show a pair of mounting rails 184, which serve the same functionas the mounting rails in the embodiment described above with referenceto FIGS. 16A-16E.

FIGS. 17C and 17D are rear and bottom views, respectively, of tech shelf380 in accordance with this particular embodiment of the presentinvention (FIG. 17C shows the tech shelf upside down). FIG. 17E showsthe bottom of tech shelf 380, and particularly shows a recessed area 382that holds cabling harness 182 when the tech shelf is installed on thechassis. FIGS. 17C and 17D also show the tech shelf's two mounting rails384 that slide along the chassis' mounting rails 184 during installationand removal (FIG. 17E shows a portion of one of the mounting rails).

During installation, the cables extending through the cabling harnessare appropriately connected and the tech shelf is slid, via the mountingrails, onto the chassis in the same manner as in the prior discussedembodiment. FIGS. 17F and 17G are rear and top views, respectively, thatshow tech shelf 380 partially on chassis 100. When tech shelf 380 isfully moved onto chassis 100, latch plate 180 latches onto the techshelf, locking and securing the tech shelf in place. The latch may bespring-loaded or otherwise designed to automatically latch onto (i.e.,secure) the tech shelf. In another version, the latch is designed to bemanually moved to secure the tech shelf in place. Other types ofmechanical latches may be employed to selectively secure the tech shelf.

To remove the tech shelf, the technician moves latch plate 180 to itsunlocked position to release the tech shelf, at which point thetechnician slides the tech shelf forward along the mounting rails. Oncethe tech shelf is fully removed from the chassis, the cables aredisconnected.

Upon removal of the tech shelf, the technician proceeds to install a new(or refurbished) tech shelf. To install, the above-described steps(depending on which tech shelf embodiment is employed) are carried outin reverse.

After the new tech shelf is physically installed, power is supplied tothe drop safe and the new tech shelf is initiated and auto-programmed asdescribed above.

In accordance with the present invention, the technician doesn't have toopen the drop safe or otherwise have access to the dropped Smart Bags orother contents within the drop safe's chassis. The technician alsodoesn't diagnose the tech shelf on site, but rather the removed techshelf may be diagnosed and, if necessary, repaired at a separatelocation. The tech shelves are removable and installable without anyspecial equipment or knowledge of the operation of the tech shelf or anyof its components.

In addition, the tech shelf is a modular component, that is, the sametech shelf may be utilized for any drop safe embodiment describedherein. Accordingly, to replace a tech shelf, a modular new tech shelfmay be mailed via a standard commercial shipping company, such asFederal Express or UPS, or delivered to the retailer location by othermeans. The tech shelf employs a lightweight cabinet and, thus, its totalweight, including the weight of its components, falls well below thelimits (e.g., 150 lbs) for using standard commercial shipping companies.Accordingly, when it is determined that the tech shelf of a drop safeneeds repair, replacement or other type of servicing (including anupgrade), a new tech shelf is simply mailed to the retailer (ordelivered in another way), and a technician visits the retailer andproceeds to replace the existing tech shelf with the new tech shelf inthe manner described above.

It is appreciated that the particular shape and size of the tech shelfmay be different than that shown in the figures. Moreover, the manner ofhow the tech shelf is fixed to the chassis may be different than thatdescribed herein. For instance, in a variation, the tech shelf iscoupled to the chassis via appropriate secure mechanisms located at thefront of the drop safe. In certain situations, the rear of the techshelf of the drop safe may not be easily accessible, such as when thedrop safe is installed underneath or within a cabinet that restrictsaccess to the back of the tech shelf. Accordingly, the tech shelf ofsuch variation is easily and quickly replaced. In particular, in theembodiment shown in FIGS. 17A to 17G, the latch plate that secures thetech shelf to the chassis can be moved sideways, in order to unlatch thetech shelf, via use of a suitable thin, elongated rod or other elongatedtool in the event access to the rear of the drop safe is highly limited.

In yet another embodiment, rather than employing a fully mechanicallatch or lock to secure the tech shelf to the chassis, an internaldigital-driven lock may be employed that's controlled via use ofshort-range communication (preferably encrypted) between thetechnician's mobile device and tech shelf (via an appropriate app on thetechnician's mobile device). Since the construction and operation ofinternal digital locks and latches, as well as the necessary software tocontrol them, are well known, further description is not provided exceptwhere necessary for an understanding of the present invention.

On-Site Conversion of One Type of Drop Safe to Another Type

In accordance with the present invention, one type of drop safe of thepresent invention can be converted quickly on site and without having tomove the drop safe from its installed location into another type of dropsafe of the present invention that has a different capability orcapabilities.

For example, a Brink's Box can be quickly converted into a B-Safe. Asanother example, a Brink's Box, which is strictly a drop safe (i.e.,doesn't accept individual notes), can be converted to a validating safein accordance with the present invention. That is, a safe that does notinclude a bag drop slot (e.g., a B-Safe without a bag drop slot). As yeta further example, a B-Safe can be converted into a Recycler Safe. Asyet another example, a Recycler Safe can be converted into a Brink'sBox. Other conversions are possible.

As described herein, the drop safes of the present invention are modularin design and include the three main components of a chassis, door, andtech shelf. The chassis and tech shelf of the Brink's Box, B-safe, andRecycler Safe (and other embodiments/variations described herein) areidentical (hardware-wise) and, thus, only the door needs replacement toconvert the drop safe. In accordance with the present invention, thedoor of the drop safe is removed without the need to move the drop safefrom its installed location. Then, the tech shelf of the drop safe isreinitialized, performs auto-detection, and then is auto-reprogrammedbased on the type of the newly installed door, as previously discussed.

Accordingly, in the case of converting a Brink's Box installed and inuse at a retailer location to a B-Safe, an authorized technician removesdoor 200 from the chassis of the Brink's Box, replaces it with a door400 (employed within a B-Safe) and installs door 400 onto the chassis.The tech shelf then is reinitialized as discussed herein, whichcompletely converts the drop safe into a B-Safe, with all thefunctionality, capability and benefits of a B-Safe. Conversion of othertypes of drop safes are carried out in like fashion.

FIGS. 18A and 18B show structures for securing a door to a chassis inaccordance with one particular embodiment of the present invention. Insuch embodiment, FIG. 18A shows a pair of locking pins 160 extendingfrom the chassis that are used to securely hold a door (e.g., a Brink'sBox door 200). The chassis includes three pairs of locking pins 160, onepair near the top of the opening for the door, one pair near the bottomof the opening, and one pair in the center of the opening.

FIG. 18B shows a portion of the edge 230 of door 200. Three pairs ofround hinge knuckles 240 (only two pairs are shown in FIG. 18B) extendfrom the door's edge 230. Each pair of the hinge knuckles are placed onthe door at locations that correspond to where a respective pair oflocking pins are placed on the chassis.

In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, each of thelocking pins 160 on the chassis are depressible so that they can bemoved between a locked position and an unlocked position. In the lockedposition, a corresponding pin portion extends through a correspondinghinge knuckle on the door. To unlock a pin, the pin is depressed andslid laterally to remove the corresponding pin portion from the hingeknuckle. FIG. 18A shows the two pins 160 in their corresponding unlockedposition (closest to each other). After all six locking pins areoperated and placed in their respective unlocked position, the door isfully removable from the chassis.

In a variation, a different number of locking pins and correspondinghinge knuckles (e.g., 10) are employed. In yet a further variation, themanner in which the locking pins unlock is different.

Accordingly, a door of the drop safe is removable in accordance with thepresent invention without the use of tools and generally is accomplishedin just a few minutes of effort. Prior to actual removal of the doorfrom the chassis, cables 152 (extending, through the chassis, betweenthe tech shelf and the door) are disconnected. Any suitable cabledisconnection technique or connector/disconnector device may be employedto allow for cable disconnection (and subsequent connection).

Thereafter, and in accordance with the present invention, a door 400(designed for a B-Safe), for example, is installed to the chassis. Theabove-described steps to remove door 200 are reversed. In particular,door 400 is placed on the chassis so that the chassis' locking pins anddoor 400's hinge knuckles are aligned. Then, one at a time, each lockingpin 160 is depressed and then, while depressed, slid into its respectivelocked position so that a corresponding portion of the pin is fedthrough a corresponding hinge knuckle on the newly installed door. Oncein the locked position, the pin is released, thereby causing the lockingpin to be locked in such position. After all the locking pins are intheir respective locked positions and securely holding a respectivehinge knuckle on the door, the new door 400 is fully secured to thechassis.

Cables 152 extending from within the chassis are then connected to theappropriate cable connector extending from the newly installed door 400.Tech shelf 300 is then reinitiated, performs auto-detection of theequipment within the newly installed door, communicates with the centralserver, and is auto-reprogrammed, as described herein.

Since the newly installed door 400 is identical to the removed door 200,except door 400 includes bill validators, door 400 is locked to chassis100 in the same way door 200 was lockable to chassis 100. Moreover, theentire conversion process of converting the previously installed Brink'sBox into a B-Safe is undertaken without the need for special doorremoval equipment, achievable in a relatively short period of time(e.g., under 15 or 30 minutes, if not quicker), and achievable withoutmoving the safe from its current location.

The above-discussion of converting a Brink's Box into a B-Safe isexemplary and illustrative of the conversion capabilities of the presentinvention. Accordingly, any type of drop safe of the present inventioncan be converted into another type of drop safe by physically swappingout the original door with another door with a different set ofcapabilities, and then reinitializing the tech shelf asherein-described.

FIGS. 18C and 18D show another set of structures/technique for securinga door to a chassis in accordance with a further embodiment of thepresent invention. FIG. 18C shows the structure of each of the chassis'hinge pins 190 to which the door is attached (only one pin shown in thefigure). In one version, two such pins are provided, one at the bottomof the door opening of the chassis and one near the top of the chassis'door opening. FIG. 18D shows the structure of a hinge sleeve 250extending from the door to be mounted to the chassis.

Hinge sleeve 250 includes upper and lower hinge knuckles 252 and 254,which are aligned on the door to receive the respective chassis pins.Door removal entails raising the door when it is in its open positionuntil the knuckles are completely above the pins. A new door then iseasily installed by appropriately aligning the door's knuckles above thepins and slowly lowering the door in place. As in the other describedembodiment, the cables are attached to the newly installed door and thetech shelf is reinitialized and auto-programmed to control theadditional capabilities now provided in the newly installed door.

In a further version, the chassis includes three or more pins and thestructure of the door's hinge sleeve includes a corresponding number ofknuckles. With additional pins and knuckles extending along the heightof the chassis and door, additional strength is provided and relativelytall doors can be accommodated.

Drop safes generally are bolted internally to a concrete floor or othersupport structure, and such drop safes ordinarily need to be unbolted orotherwise unsecured from its installed location in order for it to beserviced, upgraded, or otherwise replaced. The present inventionobviates the need for any unbolting, unsecuring or moving of the dropsafe to convert, for example, a previously installed Brink's Box into aB-Safe that includes bill validation capability. Advantageously, aretailer who has been utilizing a Brink's Box of the present inventionis able to request and expect that the Brink's Box be changed to aB-Safe without any meaningful or substantial interruption to theretailer's operations. Likewise, other types of previously installeddrop safes are easily convertible on site into drop safes that includeadditional or otherwise modified capability.

The herein-described structure and techniques for door removal andinstallation also advantageously enable for quick replacement of afaulty door (or a door with a faulty drop slot or other faultycomponent) without the need to unbolt or move the drop safe. In suchinstance, a new (or refurbished) door with the same capabilities can bequickly installed in the manner described herein to replace a faultydoor.

The removed door is returned to an appropriate service center foranalysis and, if necessary, repair. In any situation, the operation ofthe retailer (or retailers) who is using the drop safe of the presentinvention is not meaningfully impacted by the upgrade or otherwisereplacement of the safe's door. As described earlier herein, the same istrue in the event the drop safe's tech shelf needs repair orreplacement.

As discussed, door replacement is accomplished in accordance with thepresent invention without any special tools or any tools at all. Unlikethe drop safes used in the industry that include doors that arepermanently attached to the safe's chassis, the present inventionemploys a removable door using specially designed hinges that allow fordisconnection without tools. Moreover, the door hinges are internallyplaced and are inaccessible except by authorized personnel who are ableto open the door in accordance with the techniques/processes describedherein.

Deposit Creation Process

In accordance with the present invention, deposit creation is carriedout utilizing a deposit creation software application (also calledherein retail deposit application) of the present invention. Theherein-described deposit creation software application (also referred toherein, for convenience, as “deposit creation app” or “retail depositapp”) is developed by or on behalf of the cash processing facility. Thecash processing facility may be the process facilitator described inU.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0293649, which isincorporated herein by reference, or by another suitable entity that isfacilitating or assisting in facilitating the processes of the presentinvention as described herein.

In accordance with the present invention, and with reference to flowchart 1000 shown in FIG. 19 , a retailer's manager (or other designated,authorized personnel of the retailer) launches the retail deposit app onhis/her mobile device to start the deposit creation process (Step 1010).Once the app is launched, the mobile device is in communication withcentral server 710.

The retail deposit app employs known security measures to ensure theauthenticity of the mobile device and verification of the identity ofits user (Step 1020). For instance, thumbprint or facial recognitiontechnology (or other biometric data) may be employed to enable themanager to verify his/her identity during use of the deposit creationapp, in addition to or in lieu of passwords or other securitytechniques. Since suitable security measures to verify mobile device anduser identity are well known in the art, further discussion thereof isnot provided herein except where necessary for an understanding of theinvention.

In addition to known security measures, further security in accordancewith the present invention may entail, in certain embodiments, using thedeposit creation app only when the retailer's mobile device is locatedat an authorized location, such as only within the retailer's premisesor only within designated areas within the retailer premises (e.g.,within a designated back office(s) of the retailer). This may beachieved using the mobile device's GPS capability. Accordingly, thedeposit creation app is designed to terminate or to provide only limitedfunctionality when the retailer's mobile device is outside thedesignated, authorized location(s) of use.

Some retailers (or other involved entities) may desire to have furthersecurity measures. In accordance with the present invention, the depositcreation app may require (or select functionality may require)two-factor authentication. In certain embodiments, a second, designatedperson performs the second verification that is required. For instance,an SMS text message in the form of a unique code is sent to the seconddesignated person who then must communicate that code to the managerdesiring to create a deposit record. Other known techniques pertainingto two-factor authentication may be employed. Security techniquespertaining to multi-factor authentication may be employed, if desired.

During use of the retail deposit app, the manager identifies the totalamount of the deposit (Step 1030). That is, the manager inputs thisinformation into a deposit creation form on the mobile device. In avariation, the manager identifies the deposit details, which includesthe number of each denomination of currency to be deposited (e.g., thenumber of $100 notes, $50 notes, etc.). The value of coins to bedeposited, if any, is identified. In certain embodiments, if otherthings of value are to be deposited, then the identity and value (orperceived value) is identified. The retail deposit app auto-calculatesthe total amount of the deposit based on the information provided.

The retail deposit app may auto-populate certain information within thedeposit record being created, including the name of the depositor (e.g.,the manager), the identity of the retailer, the address of the retailer,etc. (Step 1040) The manager may include the name of the employeeinitially responsible for the money to be deposited, for example, theparticular cashier who just finished his/her shift. Other helpful ordesired information may also be included (Step 1050).

The current location of the manager's mobile device, using the mobiledevice's GPS, may be incorporated in the deposit record (Step 1060). Thecurrent location may be utilized to ascertain the particular retailerlocation, generally helpful if the retailer includes multiple locationsand the manager is charged with conducting deposits at such differentlocations. The manager may be instructed by the retail deposit app tomake the deposit into a particular drop safe (Step 1070). For securitypurposes, the manager may be instructed to make the deposit at theclosest drop safe. If the retailer does not have a drop safe on itspremises, the retail deposit app may instruct the manager as to thelocation of the nearest drop safe (e.g., into a drop safe located withina common area) and, in certain circumstances, provide walking and/ordriving navigation instructions as to how to get to that nearest dropsafe. If the facility at which that nearest drop safe is closed orinaccessible for another reason, then another drop safe is identified(e.g., the next closest drop safe).

The retail deposit app then instructs the manager to obtain a new SmartBag. The unique ID of the new Smart Bag (also called the Smart Bag's ID)is ascertained by the manager's mobile device (Step 1080). In oneembodiment, the manager uses the mobile device's camera to scan thebarcode that is printed on the outside of the Smart Bag. In a variation,another form of unique indicia provided on the exterior of the Smart Bagis photographed/imaged by the mobile device that ascertains the uniqueID of the Smart Bag.

In yet a further variation, the retailer's mobile device includes NFCcapability (near-field communication), and/or iBeacon, or otherappropriate RFID communication technology, and the mobile device obtainsthe ID of the RFID tag (or other electronic passive or active device)embedded within the Smart Bag to ascertain the Smart Bag's ID. Otherinformation on or in the Smart Bag may be utilized to access its ID. Ifthe Smart Bag includes the capability to audibly emit its ID, then themanager's mobile device may ascertain the Smart Bag's ID via use of themobile device's microphone. In yet a further variation, multiple methodsof identifying the Smart Bag's ID may be employed. Preferably, the ID ofthe RFID tag and the Smart Bag's ID are the same to remove the need toconvert the accessed ID into the ID to be included within the depositrecord.

The authenticity of the Smart Bag is verified by the central serverbased on the ascertained Smart Bag ID (Step 1090). If the Smart Bag isauthentic, the manager is instructed to place the monetary deposit (orother things of value) into the Smart Bag and then to seal the Smart Bag(Step 1100). In addition to authenticity, the central server may rejectthe Smart Bag for other reasons. For instance, the Smart Bag may havebeen used multiple times beyond its usable life. The Smart Bag mayinadvertently have been stamped with an ID that is already in use byanother Smart Bag. Other reasons for not authorizing a Smart Bag arepossible.

The Smart Bag may include any suitable sealing technique, such as acover that includes an adhesive strip. Preferably, the Smart Bag istamper-evident. If the Smart Bag is not authentic or is rejected foranother reason, the manager is instructed to destroy the Smart Bag andto obtain another Smart Bag. If too many Smart Bags are determined tonot be authentic, the central server flags the situation for furtheranalysis as deemed appropriate.

The order of the steps during the deposit creation process may bedifferent than that presented herein. For instance, the retail depositapp may instruct the manager to place the money within the Smart Bag inadvance of the entry of certain information, or in advance ofidentifying the location of the drop safe to make the deposit, or othersteps. Also, all the herein-described steps need not be carried outand/or additional steps as well as sub-steps may be included within theprocess.

The manager is requested to verify the accuracy of all (or select)information entered (Step 1110). Upon verifying the accuracy of theentered information, the retail deposit app (along with the centralserver) associates/saves the deposit record with the Smart Bag ID (Step1120). The deposit record includes the manager supplied depositinformation, along with the identity of the retailer, the manager, thelocation of the retailer (and the particular store, if applicable),date, time, and other appropriate information, including any otherreference information, such as discussed in U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2018/0293649.

It is noted that reference to certain steps carried out by the retaildeposit app may also be achieved by a remote server (e.g., the centralserver) with which the manager's mobile device is communicating, or inother industry-acceptable manners. For convenience, the discussionherein talks of the retail deposit app performing certain tasks, but itis appreciated that such tasks may be implemented (or controlled) byother systems/processors as appropriate.

The manager then goes to the drop safe of the present invention that isplaced at the retailer location or other location (Step 1130). At thedrop safe, the manager seeks physical access to the drop safe in variousways in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention(Step 1140). That is, the manager presents to the drop safe properidentification of some sort, which is assessed by the drop safe's userand dropped item authorization module. This module, which is in the dropsafe's tech shelf, verifies whether the item to be dropped is authorizedto be dropped, whether the manager is authorized to access the dropsafe, or both, depending on the particular embodiment of the drop safe(Step 1150).

In accordance with one embodiment, the user and dropped itemauthorization module includes a barcode/QR-code scanner/reader(identified as element 330 in FIG. 14B). To access the drop safe, themanager places the Smart Bag's barcode in front of the barcode/QR-codescanner/reader (sometimes also referred to as barcode/QR-code reader).The barcode/QR-code reader scans the Smart Bag's barcode to identify theSmart Bag's ID, which is transmitted to the central server forverification that access is authorized.

During verification, the central server verifies that a deposit recordexists for the transmitted Smart Bag ID. The central server performsother verifications, including that the Smart Bag that is associatedwith the transmitted ID hasn't yet been deposited into a drop safe, thatis, the status of the Smart Bag is undeposited (or other appropriatestatus). The drop safe being accessed should be authorized for use bythe retailer associated with the Smart Bag. The deposit record shouldnot be stale. That is, it is expected that Smart Bags be dropped withinthe designated drop safe within a set amount of time after creation ofthe deposit record. The set amount of time can be designated by theretailer or another entity, and can be different for differentretailers, different drop safes, different drop safes of the sameretailer, etc. Other assessments/verifications also may be made.

If the central server determines that access to the drop safe isauthorized, such authorization is communicated to the drop safe, and thedrop safe's bag drop slot is controlled to unlock (Step 1160). At thistime, the tech shelf's light strip turns green to inform the managerthat access authorized and the drop safe's bag drop slot has beenunlocked. Other manners of informing the manager that access isauthorized may be provided. For instance, an appropriate notificationmay be provided on the manager's mobile device (e.g., via the retaildeposit app, or via an SMS text message, etc.). Another visibleindicator on the drop safe may be provided as well as an audibleindicator.

In accordance with another embodiment, the user and dropped itemauthorization module verifies that access to the drop safe is authorizedby reading the RFID tag of the Smart Bag to be deposited. In thisembodiment, the manager may place the Smart Bag, near, in or on adesignated area, such as near the face of the tech shelf or othersuitable location. The tech shelf may include a separate RFID readerdedicated for this purpose along with an associated RFID antenna withinthe tech shelf (or exterior to the tech shelf, but not placed within thechassis). In a variation, the RFID reader that reads the RFID tags ofthe Smart Bags within the chassis may be employed, along with a separateRFID antenna placed exterior to the chassis. The read RFID tag then istransmitted to the central server, which performs verification asdescribed above.

In accordance with yet a further embodiment, another opticalverification technique is employed that ascertains a unique visualcharacteristic of the Smart Bag. In yet other embodiments, otherelectronic means may be employed. Moreover, any of the techniquesmentioned herein for identifying the Smart Bag ID by the manager'smobile device (as earlier discussed) may be employed by the drop safe.

Instead of establishing access to the drop safe by identifying the SmartBag to be dropped, the drop safe in certain embodiments provides accessupon verifying that the manager (or other employee) is authorized toaccess the drop safe. Several embodiments are as follows.

In one embodiment, the manager places his/her badge in front of the techshelf's barcode/QR-code reader. The reader scans the barcode (or QR codeor other indicia) printed on manager's badge that uniquely identifiesthe manager. The scanned data is transmitted to the central server,which verifies that the individual associated with the scanned data isauthorized to access that particular drop safe. The central server thencommunicates that authorization is provided to the drop safe that, inturn, unlocks the bag drop slot.

In certain circumstances, access to select authorized individuals of aretailer may be restricted. Certain individuals may be time-restricted.For example, select employees may be restricted to access the drop safeonly for a set period of time immediately following the end of thatperson's shift. Restrictions may be based on other factors, which may beset by the retailer's authorized management or other personnel.

In another embodiment, the manager's badge (or other retailer issueditem) includes an RFID tag with an ID that uniquely identifies themanager (e.g., an NFC badge). In this embodiment, a suitable RFID reader(or other appropriate reader) within the drop safe reads the ID of theRFID tag within the manager's badge. Like the embodiment above, that IDis transmitted to the central server for verification.

In further embodiments, the manager's badge (or other thing that themanager carries around) includes other printed or otherwise displayedindicia or other technology (passive or active) on or in the badge thatis detected in any manner that a Smart Bag is uniquely identified (byeither the mobile device or the drop safe) as discussed herein.

As used herein, the term badge refers to any item that is issued by theretailer (or agent or other authorized entity) that includes data thatuniquely identifies the designated carrier of that item. The data may bein the form of printed information (barcode, QR-code or other printedindicia including the person's name). The data may be digital data thatis included within a passive or active device within or on the itemdesignated to be carried by the individual. The data may be in the formof an audible sound. The data may be a combination of the foregoing.

In a further embodiment, the drop safe's user and dropped itemauthorization module includes facial recognition technology andprocessing capability to identify the manager. In such embodiment, themodule includes or otherwise is in communication with an appropriatecamera that images the manager's face when in close proximity to thedrop safe. In such situation, authorized personnel are required toestablish a data record (stored at the central server or otherdesignated server) that includes imaging of their face, head, etc., forthis purpose. Since facial recognition systems and processes are wellknown, further description is not provided except where particularlynecessary for an understanding of the present invention.

In yet other embodiments, the drop safe employs other biometricinformation of the manager to identify the manager desiring to accessthe drop safe. Biometric identification may include fingerprintrecognition, eyes (iris and/or retina) recognition, hand geometryrecognition, voice recognition, signature recognition, and otherappropriate things that enable systems to uniquely identifierindividuals. Accordingly, in such embodiments, the drop safe includessuitable equipment and software, which may be included within the techshelf or in communication with the tech shelf (e.g., a box of some sortfixed to the drop safe or placed reasonably close to the drop safe).Since the technology, equipment and operation of verifying identityusing biometric information is well known, further description is notprovided except where particularly necessary for an understanding of thepresent invention.

In accordance with yet further embodiments of the present invention, theretail deposit app on the manager's mobile device is used by the managerto request access to the designated drop safe.

In one such embodiment, a request by the manager (via the app) iscommunicated to the central server, which in turn assesses whetheraccess should be authorized. The central server perform verification,including any of the verifications and assessments mentioned in theother embodiments described herein. In addition, the central serververifies that the manager's mobile device is very close to (e.g., withinseveral feet of) the designated or authorized drop safe using the GPSfunctionality of the mobile device. The acceptable distance of themanager to the drop safe may be customized for each retailer (as well aseach drop safe of a retailer) and may be established based on any numberof suitable factors (e.g., size of the back office, whether the dropsafe is in a public location, number of employees authorized to be inthe back office, etc.).

In another embodiment, during the manager's request for access, themanager's mobile device establishes communication directly with the dropsafe using any appropriate short-range protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, NFC,etc.). The location of the manager's mobile device may also be providedas additional security that the mobile device is very close to the dropsafe to be accessed. Depending on the particular embodiment of the dropsafe, access to the drop safe may be initiated without communication tothe central server or may require communication to and authorization bythe central server.

In yet further embodiments of the present invention, multiple forms ofidentification and verification are required to gain access to the dropsafe. That is, the drop safe's bag drop slot does not unlock until anytwo (or more) of the above-discussed forms of access are carried out.For example, in one embodiment, a manager desiring to deposit a SmartBag into the drop safe must first have his/her badge scanned by the dropsafe (to identify the manager) and then have the barcode on the SmartBag to be deposited scanned (to identify the specific Smart Bag to bedeposited). The ascertained IDs of the manager and the Smart Bag aretransmitted to the central server for verification.

As another example, both a request by the retail deposit app on themanager's mobile device and identifying the Smart Bag to be deposited(via any way mentioned herein) must be carried out before access isauthorized.

As a further example, access is provided only after the manager isidentified via facial recognition (e.g., while immediately standing infront of the drop safe) and the ID of the Smart Bag to be deposited isascertained. Other numerous exemplary embodiments that require at leasttwo forms of verification are achievable given the discussion herein.

In yet other embodiments, a manager may be given access to a drop safeif the manager carries out one of any number of authorized procedures.For example, a particular drop safe at a retailer location may provideaccess if the manager's badge is scanned or the barcode of the Smart Bagto be dropped is scanned. Numerous other exemplary embodiments arepossible. Moreover, access to different drop safes may entail orotherwise require different forms of verification.

Deposit of Smart Bag into Drop Safe

Once access is provided and the drop safe's bag drop slot is unlocked,the manager proceeds to open the slot and places the Smart Bag withinit. The manager releases the slot, which causes the Smart Bag to bedropped inside the drop safe's chassis (Step 1170). The bag drop slotthen is immediately locked (Step 1180).

If access to the drop safe is not authorized, the bag drop slot remainslocked. Depending on the reason why access is not provided, the managermay or may not be notified of the reason for denying access.

In the numerous embodiments for accessing the drop safe as discussedherein, the drop safe allows for the drop of a single Smart Bag when thebag drop slot is unlocked. However, in variations of the embodimentsdescribed, as appropriate, a designated action by the manager (duringhis/her request to access the drop safe or after access is authorized)will cause the bag drop slot to remain unlocked for a predeterminedamount of time (e.g., 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, etc.)to allow the manager to drop multiple Smart Bags within the drop safe.

An exemplary designated action that results in the bag drop slotremaining unlocked for a preset amount of time includes the managercausing his/her badge to be scanned twice within, for example, a five(5) second period. Another exemplary action includes scanning thebarcode of a Smart Bag to be dropped twice within a period of time. Asuitable request via the retail deposit app may be employed. Otherappropriate actions may also be established to cause the bag drop slotto remain open for a period of time.

During such period of time when the bag drop slot remains open (alsoreferred to herein as a “session”), the manager proceeds to drop eachSmart Bag into the drop safe, one at a time, via the drop safe's bagdrop slot. In a variation, the bag drop slot is large enough to holdmore than one Smart Bag, whereupon the manager is able to place multipleSmart Bags into the bag drop slot and then proceed to have those SmartBags deposited into the drop safe.

In advance of dropping multiple Smart Bags within the drop safe, adeposit record has to be created for each Smart Bag to be deposited. Byallowing multiple Smart Bags to be dropped within a single session, themanager is able to quickly carry out this function. In some instances(e.g., in larger retail establishments), a manager may have to deposit arelatively large number of Smart Bags (e.g., 5 Smart Bags, 10 SmartBags, etc.). By enabling the manager to deposit more than one Smart Bagduring a session, this task can be achieved extremely quickly, oftentaking no longer than a minute or two.

Identifying the Dropped Smart Bags

In accordance with the present invention, the drop safe's dropped itemidentification and authentication module identifies the Smart Bags thatare in the drop safe (Step 1190).

In accordance with certain embodiments, the dropped item identificationand authentication module employs the previously described RFID readerplaced within the tech shelf along with RFID antennae placed within thechassis to identify the IDs of the RFID tags embedded within the SmartBags that have been dropped into the drop safe. As discussed herein, theIDs of several hundred RFID tags can be identified within a few seconds.Accordingly, the IDs of all the Smart Bags within the drop safe areascertained extremely quickly, taking likely under a second in mostinstances.

In accordance with the present invention, the drop safe is programmableor otherwise controlled to take an inventory of its contents atdifferent times. In particular, the drop safe can ascertain the IDs ofthe dropped Smart Bags at any of the following events: upon unlockingthe bag drop slot, upon locking the bag drop slot, upon verifying accessis authorized (prior to unlocking the bag drop slot), upon creating adeposit record, at the start of a retailer's business day, upon close ofthe business day, upon messenger request for access to the drop safe toempty (discussed below), upon providing access to the drop safe foremptying, upon closing the drop safe's door after emptying the contents,upon request to service the tech shelf, upon request to swap out thedrop safe's door, after installation and initialization of a newlyinstalled tech shelf, after installation of a new door, at regularintervals of time (e.g., every 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15minutes, 25 minutes, 60 minutes, etc., at irregular or random (orpseudo-randon) intervals of time, and/or at other desired times. Incertain embodiments, the drop safe is controlled to take inventory uponoccurrence of multiple ones of the foregoing events.

In accordance with other embodiments, the dropped item identificationand authentication module employs visual/optical recognition ofidentifiers on the dropped Smart Bags by employing cameras and/or otheroptical sensors within the door and/or within the chassis. Suitableunique visual identifiers include barcodes (including 3D barcodes),QR-codes, other indicia on the Smart Bag or physical attributes of theSmart Bag.

In further embodiments, the dropped item identification andauthentication module employs other electronic identification technologyincluding magnetic readers and audible detection (e.g., microphones).The Smart Bags include corresponding indicators.

In yet additional embodiments, the dropped item identification andauthentication module employs a combination of the foregoing identifiedidentification technologies.

The drop safe of the present invention further identifies the ID of theSmart Bag that has just been deposited (or that was last deposited) intothe drop safe (Step 1200). At such time, the deposit record associatedwith the identified ID of the Smart Bag that was just deposited isupdated to reflect that the Smart Bag is contained within the drop safeand that the contents of the Smart Bag now are in possession of the cashprocessing facility via its drop safe (Step 1210). At this point, thedeposit of the Smart Bag is complete.

In the embodiments employing an RFID reader (along with RFID antennae),the ID of all the Smart Bags within the drop safe are identified eachtime an inventory is taken. Accordingly, as each Smart Bag is droppedinto the drop safe and the drop safe's contents are re-inventoried, thedrop safe (along with the central server) is able to identify theidentity of the newly dropped Smart Bag. Likewise, if multiple SmartBags are dropped (e.g., during a single session), the identities of allthose newly dropped Smart Bags are ascertained upon re-inventory. Thedeposit records associated with those newly dropped Smart Bag areupdated to reflect that they have been received within the drop safe.

In the embodiments employing visual/optical recognition, suitableoptical equipment (e.g., cameras) may be placed within the door's bagdrop slot or other location within or on the interior of the door, orwithin the chassis to identify the Smart Bag during the drop orimmediately thereafter. Similarly readers/technologies employing otherdetection techniques may be placed within the door and/or chassis, andcontrolled by controllers placed within the tech shelf.

In these various embodiments, the drop safe is able to verify if andwhen the Smart Bag that is associated with a newly created depositrecord has been deposited within the designated drop safe. Similarly, ifthe identity of a Smart Bag was used to gain access to the drop safe,the drop safe is able to identity if and when that particular Smart Bagwas dropped into the drop safe.

The drop safe further verifies that all previously dropped Smart Bagsare still within the drop safe (Step 1220). That is, it is verified thata previously dropped Smart Bag has not been impermissibly removed fromthe drop safe (e.g., fished out via the bag drop slot or removed in someother manner).

The cash processing facility provides the retailer with a credit to itsbank in the amount associated with the amount of money within thedeposited Smart Bag (Step 1230). In a variation, the credit is providedat the end of the business day of the retailer or at other designatedtime, whereby the total credit provided represents the cumulative valueof the deposited Smart Bags. Further details and variations regardingproviding credit to retailers are provided below.

In accordance with the present invention, the drop safe ascertains theIDs of the Smart Bags that have been deposited, and the deposit recordsassociated with those Smart Bags are updated accordingly. The depositrecords include all potentially relevant information, including (alongwith the information and data mentioned earlier) whether a Smart Bag wasdeposited together (i.e., during the same deposit session and/or aroundthe same time) with other Smart Bags of that retailer (with theidentities of those other Smart Bags), the manner of access to the dropsafe, the date/time of the drop, the identity of the depositor, andother potentially relevant information. Accordingly, the chain of titleof each dropped Smart Bag is tracked from the initiation of a depositcreation all the way through its deposit within a particular drop safe.

In accordance with the present invention, in each of the embodiments andvariations described herein, the manager via his/her mobile device isprovided with information about the Smart Bag or Smart Bags that havebeen successfully deposited in the drop safe. For instance, a shortmessage may be provided that simply indicates that the deposited SmartBag(s) has been received by the drop safe. The message may be providedvia the app on the mobile device, via an SMS text message, via email orother appropriate manner. The information provided to the manager may bemore detailed and include any relevant information about the deposits,such as the amount in the Smart Bag, the date/time of deposit, etc.(including any information in the deposit record).

In the cases in which multiple Smart Bags are deposited within a shortperiod of time (e.g., a few minutes), the manager may be provided withconfirmation on the mobile device that the Smart Bags having particularIDs have been accepted, along with other information such as therespective amounts of money within each dropped Smart Bag, and/or thetotal amount of money represented by all the dropped Smart Bags.

The information provided to the manager via the mobile device may be anabbreviated version of the report that is generated and accessible tothe retailer via a portal that enables the retailer to set up accountsfor individual employees, access deposit records, and other financialand non-financial information. Since a portal and data that isaccessible to retailers about their financial and non-financialinformation are well known in the art, further description thereof isnot provided except where necessary for an understanding of the presentinvention.

The drop safes of the present invention employ technology that identifyits contents. As discussed above, the contents can be inventoried andre-inventoried at various times. If a Smart Bag is determined to bemissing from a drop safe, alerts are communicated to the system forappropriate actions and handling.

In another variation of the above-described embodiments, a manager of aretailer may utilize a general-purpose computer, such as a desktopcomputer or a laptop computer, to generate a deposit record. In suchvariation, a software application residing on the computer may beemployed or the manager may access a designated web site thatfacilitates the deposit creation process (or via other known processusing a computer). The computer's camera is employed to scan the barcodeof the Smart Bag. In the absence of a camera, the number ID that isprinted on the outside of the Smart Bag may be manually entered by themanager (or other person) into the computer. Other appropriatetechniques for ascertaining the ID of the Smart bag may be employed.

It is appreciated that the processor(s) within the drop safe's techshelf control the various components of the drop safe, including, forexample, the bag drop slot, and such control may be implemented ordetermined, or otherwise assisted, by communications from the centralserver. The discussion herein is presented for convenience as the dropsafe performing such actions, but the invention incorporates othercontrol scenarios, including control of all or some of the components ofthe drop safe by the central server (or by another suitable controller,as would be appreciated in the art).

Bill Insertion Process

The B-Safe of the present invention includes equipment/technology thataccepts notes recognizes its denomination, verifies its authenticity,and dispenses the note into the drop safe's chassis. Other embodimentsof the drop safe may employ such equipment/technology. For convenience,the following discussion is presented in terms of using such equipmentwithin a B-Safe of the present invention. However, it is understood thatthe discussion equally applies to other drop safes of the presentinvention that likewise accept individual notes.

In an illustrative embodiment, the B-Safe includes a pair of billvalidators to enable the manager to manually deposit notes. Inaccordance with the present invention, and with reference to flow chart1300 shown in FIG. 20 , a manager (or other designated person) seeksaccess to the B-Safe (Step 1310). The B-Safe determines if access isauthorized (Step 1320) and, if so, the B-Safe signifies to the managerthat access is authorized (Step 1330). At this time, an active depositsession is initiated.

In accordance with different embodiments of the present invention, themanager seeks access to the B-Safe in various manners. In oneembodiment, the user and dropped item authorization module of the techshelf employs the above-discussed barcode/QR-code scanner for thisfunction. In such embodiment, the manager places his/her badge in frontof the B-Safe's barcode/QR-code scanner, the barcode (or other indicia)on the badge is read, and then the drop safe (along with the centralserver) verify whether that individual is authorized to access theB-Safe. The manner of verifying whether access is authorized is asdescribed above in connection with verifying access to a Brink's Box(including all described variations, as appropriate).

The manager seeks access to the B-Safe in other manners in accordancewith further embodiments of the present invention. In particular, any ofthe foregoing described manners for seeking access to a drop safe todeposit a Smart Bag may be employed. For instance, an RFID tag embeddedwithin the manager's badge may be read by a suitable reader to ascertainthe manager's identity. Other indicia on the manager's badge or othertechnology on or in the badge may be employed.

In yet other embodiments, facial recognition or other biometricinformation may be obtained and then utilized to identify the manager,followed by verifying whether the identified individual is authorized.

In further embodiments, the manager's retail deposit app may beemployed, whereupon the manager makes an appropriate request (via theapp) when he/she is in close proximity to the B-Safe.

Multiple forms of identification may be required before access to theB-Safe is provided. In yet other embodiments, the manager may seekaccess via any one of a number of authorized methods.

In yet other variations, access to the B-Safe's bill validators may beachieved simultaneously upon access to the B-Safe's bag drop slot.Accordingly, any of the above-described embodiments/techniques forcausing the bag drop slot of a drop safe to open may be employed to gainaccess to the B-Safe's bill validators.

In any of these embodiments and variations thereof, the equipment,techniques, and methodologies that have been described to gain access tothe bag drop slot may be employed to gain access strictly the billvalidators of a drop safe.

Once access to the bill validators is authorized, an appropriate signalis provided to signify to the manager that he/she may begin depositingnotes (Step 1330). In one version, the B-Safe's light strip changes fromblue, which represents an idle state, to green, which represents anactive deposit session. Other color systems may be employed and/or othermanners of notifying the manager of active session may be used.

During the active session, the manager proceeds to insert notes, one ata time, into either (or both) bill validator (Step 1340). As a billvalidator receives an individual note, the bill validator ascertains itsdenomination and verifies its authenticity (Step 1350). If authentic,the note is accepted and fed into the B-Safe's chassis (Step 1360). Dataidentifying the denomination of each accepted note, the number of eachdenomination accepted, the total value of the accepted notes during thesession, date/time of acceptance, and other relevant information ismaintained within the tech shelf's processor and other appropriateprocessor(s) (e.g., the central server).

If the note is not authentic or meaningfully damaged, the note is notaccepted and returned. Since the manner and operation of a billvalidator is well known in the art, further description of determiningdenomination and validating a note, as well as the mechanical equipmentfor accepting and feeding notes, are not described herein except wherenecessary for an understanding of the present invention.

Accepted notes fall into a bin placed within the chassis. A single,sufficiently large bin is placed beneath both bill validators andcatches notes that pass through either of the bill validators (Step1370).

During this process, the manager is provided on his/her mobile device inreal-time with the monetary amount of the notes that have been acceptedby the bill validators (Step 1380). The information may be provided tothe manager via the mobile device in various manners. In one version,the manager launches (or has already launched) the above-describedretail deposit app and the information is provided through the retaildeposit app. The manager may launch a different app that is dedicated tothe bill insertion process. If preset and desired, the information maybe provided to the manager via text messages, email or other messagingsystem that is supported by the mobile device.

The information provided may be the total amount of the monetary depositat the completion of the session. The information provided may includethe total amount of the monetary deposit as the session proceeds, withthe monetary amount identified on the mobile device increasing as notesare fed into and accepted by the bill validators. The information mayinclude a breakdown of the deposit by denomination (e.g., number of $100notes, number of $50 notes, etc.). The information provided may be innumerical form and/or in graphical form. For instance, as a bill (e.g.,a $100 note) is accepted by one of the bill validators, the mobiledevice may display a graphical representation of that note. Othertechniques for providing feedback to the manager during and/or after thebill insertion process may be employed.

When no notes are received by the bill validators for a preset period oftime, such as 20 seconds, 40 seconds, one minute, two minutes (or otherpreset length of time), the deposit session terminates and the billvalidators are controlled to no longer accept any notes (Step 1390). Ina variation, the B-Safe may be programmed to keep the deposit sessionactive until a preset time of day (e.g., one hour after the close ofbusiness), or when a designated event occurs, such as the depression ofthe B-Safe's LCD Screen/Button 340, the scanning of the badge of thatmanager, or other designated action.

During the active session, if a second employee seeks access to theB-Safe (via any appropriate technique of any appropriateembodiment/variation) (e.g., such as by having his/her badge scanned bythe B-Safe's barcode/QR-code scanner), then the current deposit session(for the prior individual) terminates and a new active session begins.The new active session is associated with the second employee. Each dropsafe can be configured to initiate an active session and to terminate anactive session according to the respective retailer's preferences.

As stated earlier, the forgoing discussion applies equally to othertypes of drop safes that employ bill validators or other technology thatis able to accept a note, ascertain its denomination, verify itsauthenticity, and dispense the verified note within the drop safe'schassis.

In other embodiments of the present invention, such as the recyclersafe, access to the small form factor cash recycler by the manager (orother personnel) may be achieved in any manner that the bill validatorsmay be accessed as described herein. Likewise, in yet furtherembodiments of the present invention that employ differentequipment/different functionality, access to suchequipment/functionality may be achieved in numerous ways.

In any of the embodiments described herein, entitlements associated withindividual employees, that is, the capabilities that employees ofretailers can carry out either via any of the herein-described apps (orother software applications) and/or directly with a drop safe (ormultiple drop safes) may be dynamically managed within the centralserver to tailor authorizations and functionalities based on retailerpreferences and other factors. For instance, higher level managementgenerally will be provided with the highest level of abilities whilelower level employees will be provided with more restrictive abilities.

Various functionalities and abilities include creating a deposit record,obtaining access to a drop safe's bag drop slot, obtaining access to adrop safe's bill validator or other equipment that accepts individualnotes, obtaining access to a drop safe's recycler, obtaining access toother technology within the drop safe, the times/days any such access isprovided and/or the criteria under which access is provided (e.g., onlyduring and/or one's shift), the length of time access is made available,etc. The manner access to a piece of equipment may also be differentdepending on the level or other designation of employees. Based on aretailer's preferences, select employees may only be able to access acertain piece of equipment within the drop safe one way (as preferred bythe retailer), whereas other employees may be able to access suchequipment in multiple ways. For example, select employees may access thebill validators only upon having their badge scanned by the drop safe,whereas other higher level employees may use the retail deposit app toget access, along with the option of having their badge scanned, and/orusing another technique for access.

For a retailer that is associated with a single drop safe, entitlementsand access abilities of that retailer's employees are limited solely tothe associated drop safe. For retailers that are associated withmultiple drop safes (whether those drop safes are within the samefacility or different facilities), the ability to access those multipledrop safes may be the same or different for each particular employee whois being provided access.

In any of the embodiments and scenarios provided herein, the presentinvention is able to quickly, if not immediately, respond to changed orchanging circumstances. In accordance with the present invention, aretailer may designate the entitlements/access abilities based on jobtitle and/or other status and designations associated with eachemployee. Then, when the title, status or designation of an employee ischanged, that individual's entitlements and access abilities areautomatically modified to conform with the updatedtitle/status/designation. Accordingly, retailers need not have toremember to manually change a particular employee's designatedentitlements when circumstances change. Beyond job title, position, andthe like, other status or designation can include location (e.g., whenan employee is transferred to a different retail location), a switchfrom full-time to part-time (or vice versa), working hours, termination,etc.

In accordance with the present invention, an employee can be providedwith entitlements/access abilities that enable him/her to handledeposits from multiple retailers. For example, an individual is able tocollect deposits (i.e., collect Smart Bags) from multiple companies andto deposit those multiple Smart Bags into a designated drop safe. TheSmart Bags are associated with different retailers, but a singleindividual is handling and depositing those Smart Bags into a drop safe.To ensure proper tracking, in one embodiment, access to the drop safe'sbag drop slot must entail the individual providing his/her badge,biometrics, or something else that particularly identifies theindividual. That is, access is not achieved via the drop safeidentifying a Smart Bag to be dropped. In another embodiment, theindividual must use his/her mobile device to gain access. In yet afurther embodiment, the individual must use his/her mobile device alongwith a badge (or biometric information) to identify him or herself inorder to gain access. Other scenarios, as discussed herein, arepossible.

Hence, the present invention is able to employ a combination ofverifications and authorizations, including location tracking of theindividual and the location of the drop safe, to handle and processdeposits from any number of retailers, and whether the particular dropsafe is placed at a retailer location or a common area. Moreover, byassociating Smart Bags with a designated drop safe at the time ofcreation of a deposit record, changes to locations of drop safes resultin an automatic alignment of deposits to those moved drop safes.Conversely, decisions about where to locate drop safes that are notnecessarily associated with a particular retailer may be made based onrecent historical data pertaining to the created deposit records ofretailers.

Advance Credit

In accordance with the present invention, upon depositing Smart Bags viathe drop slots and/or cash via the bill validators, the retailer whomade the deposit is provided with a credit to its bank account in theamount of the total deposit. The credit may be immediate. The credit maybe provided once per day, such as a designated time after the retailerhas closed its operation or at another designated time. The credit mayoccur multiple times a day. For retailers having multiple locations,such as at multiple locations in different zones, a credit may beprovided once per business day or at the close of the business withineach respective time zone, or at another designated time. In manycircumstances, credit is provided before the Smart Bags and loose notesare removed from the drop safe(s). In some instances, credit is providedseveral days (if not more) before the Smart Bags and loose notes areremoved from the drop safe. Providing a retailer with advance credit isalso discussed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0006249,which is incorporated herein by reference.

Messenger Pickup Process

The drop safes of the present invention are emptied by authorizedindividuals (called “messengers” herein). The messenger service thatprovides the messengers may be an armored car service or otherappropriate service.

In accordance with the present invention, the messenger is authorizedthrough the management of the individual's entitlements contained intheir profile resident in the central server. This information is usedin conjunction with the particular authorized route containing the dropsafe to be accessed. When the messenger arrives, he/she begins theauthorization process through the logging into a messenger app onhis/her mobile device with the appropriate credentials to verify theuser's identity. This can be any combination of access codes, PINsand/or biometrics provided to the location-enabled mobile device. Whenat the premise containing the deployed drop safe, the specifics of thedrop safe to be accessed is identified, through an input of a code orthe reading of the proximities of the smart device and safe. If themessenger is properly identified and authorized, determined to be near avalid drop safe to be serviced and is communicating with the centralserver, a protected authorization message is issued to the drop safe topermit access. This access is limited to a single use on that drop safeand must be utilized within a predetermined timeframe. If it expiresbefore use, another access authorization may be requested.

This dynamic hand-shaking process occurring amongst the three entities:the messenger's mobile device, the drop safe and the central server isunlike any current process employed in the industry that make use ofone-time codes. This dynamic process allows for the real-time managementof the access to account for changes in an individual's authorizationand/or entitlements to specified individual drop safes.

The foregoing summarized process is described in greater detail withreference to flowchart 1400 shown in FIGS. 21A and 21B. Initially, aparticular drop safe is determined to be emptied in accordance witheither a predetermined schedule or an indication that the drop safe hasreached a capacity of some sort (or other reason to empty the drop safe)(Step 1410).

A drop safe can be scheduled to be emptied daily, every other day, everythird day, etc., based on historical usage or other information. Inaddition, the drop safe may be programmed (or the central serverprogrammed) to schedule an emptying of the drop safe when the drop safeincludes or exceeds a predetermined number of Smart Bags (e.g., 15 SmartBags, 25 Smart Bags, 40 Smart Bags, 60 Smart Bags, etc.) For B-Safes andother embodiments that include bill validators, an emptying can bescheduled if a preset number of notes have been accepted by the billvalidators and deposited into the drop safe's chassis. An emptying canbe scheduled if the total monetary value of the deposits exceeds apreset amount of money in order to minimize monetary risk. Other reasonsmay be employed to determine that a drop safe is to be emptied.

To initiate removal of the contents of a drop safe, the authorizedmessenger launches the messenger app on his/her mobile device (Step1420). Similar to authenticating the retailer during use of the retaildeposit app, the messenger app employs known security measures to ensurethe authenticity of the mobile device and verification of the identityof the messenger (Step 1430). All manners and variations ofauthenticating the manager's mobile device and all manners andvariations of verifying the identity of the manager as described herein(in connection with deposit creation) may be employed to authenticatethe messenger's mobile device and verify the identity of the messenger.

The messenger proceeds to initiate to seek access to the drop safe byidentifying the drop safe to be emptied (Step 1440). This isaccomplished in different ways in accordance with various embodiments ofthe present invention.

In one embodiment, the messenger scans, via the mobile device's camera,the QR code that is on the drop safe to be emptied. The QR code, whichappears on the exterior of the drop safe at any accessible location,uniquely identifies the drop safe. In a variation, other forms of visualindicia may be employed, such as barcode or other form ofuniquely-identifiable indicia mentioned herein.

In accordance with another embodiment, the messenger's mobile deviceincludes NFC capability, or iBeacon, or other appropriate RFIDcommunication technology, and the messenger's mobile device obtains theID of an RFID tag (or other electronic passive or active device) coupledto the drop safe, placed within the tech shelf of the drop safe, orplaced at another location on or in the drop safe that is capable ofbeing detected by the messenger's mobile device.

In a variation, the messenger also has other equipment capable ofdetecting the ID of the RFID tag (or other electronic tag) on or in thedrop safe, and that other equipment wirelessly transmits thatinformation to the messenger's mobile device for further handling.

Other means of identifying the drop safe may be employed, including anyvariation/technique discussed herein to identify a Smart Bag.

Upon ascertaining the ID of the drop safe to be emptied, the messenger'smobile device supplies that information to the central server (Step1450). The central server includes records about each drop safe and,thus, identifies all relevant information about the identified dropsafe, including the physical location of the drop safe, the retailer towhich the drop safe is associated, the particular store of that retailer(if multiple stores and/or locations) to which the drop safe isassociated, the last time the drop safe was emptied, all deposits thathave been made into that drop safe since the last pickup (based on theabove-discussed retail deposit activity), the identity of the priormessengers who had previously emptied that drop safe, and other relevantinformation.

The messenger's mobile device further provides to the central server thecurrent location of the messenger's mobile device (using its GPS) (Step1460). In accordance with the present invention, the central serverdetermines whether the messenger's mobile device is currently locatedwithin close proximity of the known location of the drop safe to beemptied (Step 1470). If so, then the central server generates a uniquesingle-use, time dependent authorization code (also referred to hereinas an “OTA Code”) (Step 1480). The OTA Code is transmitted to themessenger's mobile device (Step 1490).

The OTA code is generated based on several different data elements andencrypted in a manner to maximize security and prevention oftheft/decryption by unauthorized individuals. For instance, the dataelements may include the locations of the messenger and of the drop safeto be emptied, the current date and time, the identity of the messenger,a user ID of the messenger, the identity of the retailer with which thedrop safe is associated, and other such type of information. Generationof the OTA code may include any combination of these data elements, ornone at all, and may be based on any suitable industry-acceptablemethodologies for generating a one-time-use, authorization code that isthen used to gain access to a digital safe. Since the varioustechnologies and methodologies used to generate a suitable one-timeauthorization code are well known in the art, further descriptionthereof is not provided except where necessary for an understanding ofthe present invention.

If the messenger's mobile device is not sufficiently close to the dropsafe to be emptied, then an OTA code is not generated and the messengeris provided with appropriate notification indicating that there is aproblem and that the messenger is not authorized to proceed (Step 1475).Follow-up steps to correct the situation may be provided.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, theMessenger's mobile device, via the messenger app, displays the OTA Codein the form of a QR-Code on the mobile device's display (Step 1500). Ina variation, the OTA Code is displayed in another two-dimensional form(or in a one-dimensional form, such as barcode).

While the OTA Code is displayed, the messenger quickly places the mobiledevice in front of the drop safe's barcode/QR-code scanner, which inturn reads the displayed OTA Code (Step 1510). The drop safe determineswhether the scanned code corresponds to the correct OTA Code that wasjust generated by the central server (Step 1520). Such determination maybe carried out in any industry-acceptable manner. The determination maybe carried out by the central server, by the central server working inconjunction with the drop safe, or by the drop safe itself.

Since methodologies that enable for the creation of a uniqueone-time-authorization code, transmission thereof, and verification byanother device of the accuracy and legitimacy of a presented code arewell known in the art, further description thereof is not providedexcept where necessary for an understanding of the present invention.

Upon verification that the presented OTA Code is accurate andlegitimate, the drop safe's digital lock unlocks, which allows themessenger to open the drop safe's door, thereby gaining access to thecontents of the drop safe's chassis (Step 1530).

In accordance with a variation of the above embodiment, as an additionalsafety measure, the messenger app displays the OTA Code for a relativelyshort pre-set period of time. Exemplary times include 10 seconds, 20seconds, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2minutes, etc.

In another variation, the OTA Code is time-sensitive, that is, itexpires after a predetermined amount of time (separate and apart fromhow long the OTA Code is displayed by the messenger's mobile device).For instance, the OTA Code must be received by the drop safe andtransmitted to the central server within a preset amount of time afterthe OTA Code was generated in the first place. Any appropriate presetamount of time may be set. By being time-sensitive, unauthorizedinterception of the OTA Code and later, improper use of that OTA Codewill not be accepted since the OTA Code has already expired.

In yet a further variation, the messenger app displays the OTA Code forone pre-set period of time and the OTA Code is time-sensitive (foranother pre-set period of time) in order to provide yet further enhancedsecurity against attempts to improperly open the drop safe. Forinstance, in either of these variations, attempts to take a photographor otherwise duplicate the OTA Code (e.g., via a different device) toenable for later entry of the drop safe will be unsuccessful.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, themessenger's mobile device wirelessly transmits the OTA Code, in anon-visual manner, to the drop safe. Transmission may occur using NFC,Bluetooth or other short-range or close-proximity type RF communication.Other manners of short-range, non-visual, communication may be employed.

If the messenger is unable to provide the OTA Code from the messenger'smobile device to the smart safe within the designated period of time,the messenger will have to repeat the entire process to receive a newOTA Code from the central server.

As previously discussed, the drop safe of the present inventionascertains the ID of every Smart Bag that is within its chassis. Suchinventorying occurs at different times and after, during or beforecertain events, as already discussed. Preferably, the drop safe carriesout yet another inventory of its contents prior to access and emptyingby the messenger. For instance, the inventory may occur upon themessenger transmitting the ID of the drop safe to the central server,upon the messenger's mobile device receiving the OTA Code, and/or at anyother time (including multiple times), and including immediately priorto the unlocking of the drop safe's door (Step 1530). Accordingly, thedrop safe and central server have identified every Smart Bag to beremoved by the messenger.

To assist the messenger, the central server may transmit to themessenger's mobile device the number of Smart Bags that are includedwithin the drop safe and that need to be removed. Via the messenger app,that information is provided to the messenger. Optionally, the ID ofeach Smart Bag within the drop safe can also be provided to themessenger's mobile device and then displayed to the messenger. However,since the drop safe may have upwards of 30 or more Smart Bags, providingthe ID of each Smart Bag at the time of emptying the drop safe mayunnecessarily slow the messenger down. But such information may beemployed after fully emptying the drop safe. For instance, the messengermay scan the bar code of each retrieved Smart Bag (e.g., while themessenger is securely within his/her vehicle or at another location, oroptionally while still at the retailer) to verify that each Smart Bagthat previously was inside the drop safe is now securely in themessenger's possession. In a variation, the below-mentioned transfercontainer into which the messenger transfers the Smart bags (asdiscussed below), may include its own associated RFID reader/RFIDantenna that is used to identify and ascertain that all the Smart Bagswithin the drop safe have been transferred to the messenger's custody.

Emptying Contents of Brink's Box

When the drop safe is a Brink's Box (or other like version) of thepresent invention, the only removable contents within the chassis aredeposited Smart Bags. Hence, when a Brink's Box is being emptied, themessenger proceeds to remove all the deposited Smart Bags (Step 1540 inFIG. 21B). To facilitate ease of removal of the Smart Bags, a largebucket optionally may be provided at the bottom of the chassis, whichcatches all the deposited Smart Bags. The messenger then removes thebucket from the chassis and transfers all the Smart Bags within thebucket into an appropriate transfer container (Step 1550). The messengerplaces the now-empty bucket back into the bottom of the chassis.

Upon completing the emptying of the Brink's Box, the messenger closesthe door, which is automatically locked (Step 1560). After the door isclosed and locked, the Brink's Box conducts a scan of its contents (Step1570). For instance, in the embodiments that employ an RFID readerwithin the tech shelf and RFID antennae within the chassis, if all theSmart Bags were removed by the messenger, no RFID tags should bedetected. If, however, a Smart Bag is detected, the Smart Bag is flaggedas having not been removed from the drop safe.

The messenger may be alerted that a Smart Bag remains in the drop safe,and the messenger may repeat the above-process to again gain access tothe drop safe. The messenger may be unable to retrieve the Smart Bag(for any reason) and, in such case, the Smart Bag will be removed duringthe next time the drop safe is emptied.

The messenger takes the removed Smart Bags and transfers them to thecash processing facility for further handling.

To minimize risk, upon opening of the drop safe as discussed herein, themessenger is given a relatively short period of time, to empty thecontents of the drop safe. During this designated period of time, thedrop safe's light strip is green to signify to the messenger that thetwo-minute period has not yet expired. After the designated period oftime, the light strip turns yellow to signify to the messenger thathe/she has gone over the designated amount of time to empty the dropsafe.

When the light strip turns yellow, a representative from the cashprocessing facility (or other entity) may contact (e.g., call) themessenger to inquire if there are any problems. Accordingly, the status(as indicated by the color of the drop safe's light strip) along withthe required handling procedures by the messenger allow for the dropsafe to be emptied in a quick, organized and ideally secure manner.Other colors, time-frames and procedures may be employed than thatmentioned above. Optionally, the drop safe's LCD screen/button providesa countdown-timer to inform the messenger how long he/she has until theend of the designated amount of time.

Emptying Contents of B-Safe

When the drop safe to be emptied is a B-Safe of the present invention orother similar version, the contents to be removed include both SmartBags as well as notes that have been accepted by the bill validators.

The messenger proceeds to remove all the deposited Smart Bags from theB-Safe (Step 1580 in FIG. 21B) and transfers the removed Smart Bags intoa suitable transfer container (Step 1590). These steps are carried outin basically the same manner for both a Brink's Box and a B-Safe.

The messenger then removes all the notes within the chassis that havebeen accepted by the bill validators (Step 1600). As mentioned earlier,a sufficiently large bin is placed beneath the bill validators andcatches the notes that have been accepted by the bill validators.Accordingly, the messenger is able to quickly remove the notes byremoving the bin and transferring the contents of that bin into aseparate loose-note transfer bag (Step 1610). The messenger then returnsthe now-empty bin back into the chassis.

In accordance with the present invention, in one version, the loose-notetransfer bag may include an RFID tag within it and have the ID of theRFID tag provided on the outside of the bag in both human-readable formand as a bar code (similar to a Smart Bag). The messenger enters the IDof the loose-note transfer bag into the messenger app that is running onthe messenger's mobile device (Step 1620). The ID may be manuallyentered (using the ID printed on the bag) or may be obtained by usingthe messenger's mobile device's camera to scan the barcode that is onthe outside of the bag. This step is similar to the step of theretailer's manager obtaining the ID of a new Smart Bag, as discussedabove. Moreover, any other version/technique/embodiment for obtainingthe ID of a Smart Bag as discussed herein may be employed to identifythe loose-note transfer bag.

Upon obtaining the ID of the loose-note transfer bag and placing theloose-notes within that bag, the central server creates a deposit record(Step 1630) that identifies the amount of money within the loose-notetransfer bag, as well as the number of the notes by denomination, alongwith the ID of that bag, and other information, including the identity(or identities) of the individual(s) who deposited those notes (based onthe prior described use of the bill validators by the retailer), thedate/time of each deposit via the bill validators, the retailerassociated with the B-Safe, and other relevant information. Theloose-note transfer bag is sealed and placed within the transfercontainer (Step 1640) along with the removed Smart Bags.

After all the Smart Bags and loose notes are removed from the B-Safe,the messenger closes the door, which is automatically locked (Step1650). Thereafter, the B-Safe conducts a scan of its contents (Step1660). This scan is the same as that discussed above for the Brink's Boxafter it is emptied. If a Smart Bag is detected within the B-Safe, theB-Safe proceeds in the manner as already discussed above.

The messenger then proceeds to transfer the Smart Bags and loose-notetransfer bag to the cash processing facility for further handling.

The order of the above steps may be different. For instance, the loosenotes may be removed first from the B-Safe, followed by removal of theSmart Bags. As another example, the ID of the loose-note transfer bagmay be obtained and entered into the messenger app in advance of themessenger transferring the loose notes from the chassis into theloose-note transfer bag. Additional steps or sub-steps may be includedwithin this process.

In a variation, the loose-note transfer bag doesn't include anassociated ID and thus steps 1620 and 1630 in FIG. 21B are omitted fromthe messenger pickup process. Other variations may be possible.

In yet another variation of the present invention, the B-Safe's chassisincludes a bin liner (bin liner 444 shown in FIG. 12B) within bin 442.Accordingly, as the bill validators accept notes, the accepted notesfall into the bin liner. During removal of the B-Safe's contents, themessenger removes the entire bin liner (with the notes within it),places the bin liner within an appropriate envelope, or theabove-discussed loose-note transfer bag, or another appropriatereceptacle, which is then sealed. The messenger proceeds to place a new,empty bin liner within the bin in the B-Safe's chassis, and closes theB-Safe's door. In this variation, the messenger advantageously doesn'tmake physical contact with any of the loose notes that have beenaccepted by the B-Safe's bill validators. In addition, the chance of anote being unintentionally dropped or otherwise misplaced is reduced bythe use of a bin liner that has caught all the notes that have beenaccepted by and dropped from the bill validators.

In yet a further variation, rather than employing a bin liner, theabove-discussed loose-note transfer bag may be installed within thechassis of the B-Safe prior to use, and designed to itself capture notesthat have been accepted by the bill validators. In such variation, whena new (and empty) loose-note transfer bag is placed within the B-Safe,the messenger obtains the ID of that new loose-note transfer bag via themessenger app, whereby a record is created that is associated with thatloose-note transfer bag. Thereafter, as the B-Safe's bill validatorsaccept notes, the record is updated to reflect the accepted notes. Then,when the B-Safe's contents is to be emptied, the messenger removes theloose-note transfer bag and seals it. The messenger then proceeds toobtain the ID of a new (empty) loose-note transfer bag and places thatnew bag appropriately into the B-Safe's chassis for subsequent use.

In this variation, the messenger obtains the ID of a new loose-notetransfer bag by using his/her mobile device to scan the barcode on theoutside of the bag (or by manually entering the ID printed on theoutside of the bag, or by employing another technique herein described).Alternatively, rather than have the messenger obtain the ID of the newloose-note transfer bag, the ID of that new bag is obtained by theB-Safe itself after the B-Safe's door is closed and locked. That is, andas discussed above, when the B-Safe's door is closed, the B-Safeconducts a scan of its contents (e.g., in certain embodiments, via itsRFID reader and RFID antennae) (Step 1660 in FIG. 21B). In thisvariation, the B-Safe will detect the RFID tag of the newly placedloose-note transfer bag and, at that time, a new record that isassociated with this bag may be created.

It is appreciated that the name “loose-note transfer bag” is used hereinfor convenience, but other terms for this bag and for other elements andcomponents discussed herein may be used. Moreover, in the abovevariation that entails placing a new, empty loose-note transfer bagwithin the B-Safe's chassis prior to closing the door, the messengerdoesn't have to make physical contact with any of the notes that havebeen accepted by the bill validators. The messenger only has to removeand seal the loose-note transfer bag, and then to place a new loose-notetransfer bag at the appropriate location within the B-Safe's chassis.This effort, along with removing any Smart Bags that have deposited intothe B-Safe, is a process that can be carried out very quickly.

In accordance with the present invention, rather than using a liner or abin, another appropriate container, such as a canvas bag, may beutilized to capture notes that have been accepted by the billvalidators. Certain countries may have strict rules as to what types ofitems can be employed in cash-acceptance type devices, and the presentintention is able to accommodate those rules.

The B-Safe of the present invention includes a pair of bill validators.If one of the bill validators is damaged, jammed or otherwise notoperating properly, that validator is turned off, but the retailer stillis able to deposit notes through the working bill validator. Asmentioned above, if the bill validator(s) have accepted an amount ofmoney or a number of notes that exceed a preset limit, a messenger maybe scheduled to empty the contents of the B-Safe. Upon acceptance ofthat amount of money or number of notes, the bill validators can beturned off. In such case, the retailer still is able to make depositsvia use of Smart Bags that are dropped using the drop safe's bag dropslot.

In a variation of that shown herein, the B-Safe may employ a differentnumber of bill validators. For example, the B-Safe may employ a singlebill validator, three bill validators, or other number. The shape andconfiguration of the Brink's Box and the B-Safe, and any of theirrespective components, may be different than that shown and/or describedherein.

The contents of other embodiments of the present invention employingother equipment, such as a small form factor cash recycler, coinsidecar, etc. may be carried out in manners similar to or the same asthose described in connection with the Brink's Box or the B-Safe.Regardless of the equipment that is employed, given the detaileddiscussion herein, the messenger is able to access the drop safeutilizing the novel methodologies, techniques, and equipment as hereindescribed and then empty the contents of such drop safe. To avoidduplication, the step-by-step discussion of how the messenger emptiesthe recycler safe or other type of safe with different equipment is notprovided.

Central Server

As discussed herein, the drop safes of the present invention communicatewith a central server, and both the manager's mobile device and themessenger's mobile device communicate with the central server during useof the apps described herein. Communication with the central serveroccurs in real-time and may be carried out in any manner and consistentwith any suitable communication protocols, as would be appreciated bythose of ordinary skill in the art. The details of those manners andcommunication protocols are not discussed herein, except where necessaryfor an understanding of the present invention.

The central server maintains/stores all the deposit records that havebeen created, and maintains/stores data pertaining to the identity,functions, capabilities, location, etc., with respect to each of thedrop safes of the present invention. The central server maintains/storesrecords/data with respect to each of the retailers and its respectiveemployees (or at least those employees authorized to use a mobile deviceto facilitate deposits within a drop safe). The central servermaintains/stores records/data with respect to all messengers who areauthorized to empty the drops safes, and maintains/stores records/datawith respect to all service personnel who are authorized service a dropsafe (e.g., replace a damages tech shelf, change a door to convert aBrink's Box to a B-Safe, etc.). The central server maintains/storeswhatever other information is necessary to assist in carrying out thevarious processes of the present invention.

The functions of the herein-described central server may be carried outby multiple servers and other equipment, with such servers and otherequipment controlled by one or more entities. The present invention hasbeen described in a way to make the invention understood by persons ofordinary skill in the art, but as appreciated by those of ordinary skillin the art, variations may be made without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention.

In accordance with the present invention, the central server receivesfrom each of the drop safes data regarding activity that is occurring orhas just occurred in connection with those drop safes. Likewise, thecentral server is in communication with the mobile devices of retailers,messengers and service personnel. During use of suitable apps on thosedevices, the mobile devices are in communication with the centralserver, and thus the central server is providing and/or receiving datato/from those mobile devices relating to the processes described herein.For instance, during creation of a deposit record by a retailer'smanager, the central server may cause certain information toauto-populate in the deposit record, such as the identity of theretailer, and other information. Implementation of these features asdescribed herein are well within the capability of those of ordinaryskill in the art, and thus details about how those apps operate, thetypes of information transmitted to the central server, and from thecentral server, are not provided herein except where particularlynecessary for an understanding of the present invention.

Additional Embodiments

Each of the drop safes described herein may include additional equipmentthat are usable by retailers.

In one variation, a drop safe includes a coin sidecar for accepting bulkcoins. The “coin sidecar” may be connected to the drop safe or includedwithin it. A retailer may gain access to the coin sidecar similar to howaccess to the bill validators is obtained. For instance, an employee mayhave his/her badge scanned by the drop safe in order to identify theemployee, and then the employee proceeds to place the coins with thedevice's receptacle. In any other embodiment/technique/process foraccessing the bill validators may be employed to access the coinsidecar.

A deposit record is created for the deposited coins. Since the design,construction, and implementation of a coin sidecar or other similarfunctional equipment are well known, further description is not providedherein.

The drop safes may employ a display monitor for providing additionalinformation to managers and other employees of the retailers,messengers, service personnel, etc. It is appreciated that theembodiments described above do not include a display monitor other thana very small LCD screen/button. The screen/button is depressible andprovides countdown information during timed sessions. The bulk (ornearly all or all) information is provided to the retailer's manager andother personnel via the mobile devices. However, in other variations,rather than employing an LCD screen/button, the drop safe includes onlya button. In yet another variation, the LCD screen/button is omittedaltogether. In these two variations, the drop safe of the presentinvention includes no display whatsoever.

In yet a further variation, the drop safes are “disconnected” devices.That is, the drop safes do not communicate directly with the centralserver (i.e., via cellular communication, via the Internet, or via otherlong-range communication protocol). Rather, the drop safes includeBluetooth capability (or other short-range communication) so that theydirectly communicate with the manager's mobile device, the messenger'smobile device, and service personnel's mobile devices via Bluetoothpairing (or other short-range communication technique or protocol).Accordingly, during the manager's use of the retail deposit app onhis/her mobile device, the mobile device and the drop safe are in directcommunication. Preferably, communication between the two devices employsexclusive connections, whereby the drop safe is able to connect to onlya single mobile device at a time. This provides enhanced security of thedata communicated between the devices.

A suitable communication protocol that may be employed is Bluetooth 4.0,or other equivalent or later versions having the desired properties. InBluetooth 4.0, the relevant area of technology is the GATT (GenericAttribute) profile, which defines how two Bluetooth Low Energy devices,one in the mobile device and the other in the drop safe, transfer databack and forth using concepts called Services and Characteristics. As isknown, this profile makes use of a generic data protocol called theAttribute Protocol (ATT), which is used to store Services,Characteristics and related data in a lookup table.

The present invention in this variation employs the aboveprotocols/technology to keep the connection between the user's mobiledevice and the drop safe exclusive. Once the user's mobile deviceconnects to the drop safe, the devices no longer advertise. That is,once the connection is established, other devices no longer ascertainthe existence of the devices and thus are not able to connect. Inaccordance with the present invention, data is transmitted between thedrop safe and the mobile device only upon after such exclusiveconnection is established, thus ensuring a confidential, unalterableflow of information between the devices.

In the herein-described “disconnected” devices, after one or more SmartBags are deposited into the drop safe (and similarly after notes areaccepted by the bill validators in versions that include billvalidators), the drop safe communicates to the manager's mobile devicethat the deposit(s) into the drop safe has been made and accepted, withthe associated amounts of the drops. As in the above embodiments,information is provided to the manager's mobile device in real-time,thus providing the user with a “richer” experience.

In accordance with this version of the present invention, datareflecting the activity that has transpired between the manager and thedrop safe are stored, in certain versions, within the manager's mobiledevice. Such data includes the amount of cash that has been dropped,including any notes that have been accepted by the bill validators, dateof the drop, and other relevant information. This all may be includedwithin the deposit record that was initially created prior to depositingthe money. When the manager is in a location that contains cell service(or Wifi) that enables communication between the manager's mobile deviceand the central server, the stored data pertaining to the deposit iscommunicated to the central server.

In certain versions, after receipt from the manager's mobile device bythe central server of data representing the above-described deposit, thecash processing facility processes the deposit as if the data wasreceived directly from the drop safe. In certain embodiments, theretailer's bank account is provided with a credit for the amount of thedeposit. The credit may be provided immediately, at the end of thebusiness day, or at another time. A discussion of providing retailerswith advance credit prior to delivery of the cash is discussed in U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0006249, which is incorporatedherein by reference.

As illustrated from the foregoing discussion of the “disconnected”version of the drop safe of the present invention, a retailer's manageris enabled to receive, in real-time, data and other informationconcerning the deposit being made, including the amount of the depositand, in certain versions, a detailed report of the deposit that showsthe amount of each denomination reflected in the deposit. A messengeremptying the “disconnected” drop safe receives via the messenger'smobile device from the drop safe all records, transactions, and otherdata relevant to what has transpired at least since the last time thedrop safe was emptied. This information then is transmitted from themessenger's mobile device to the central server either immediately orwhen the messenger's mobile device is at a location where cellularcommunication is provided.

Accordingly, the drop safes of the present invention can be utilized inareas that lack cellular coverage and/or other form of communication tothe central server.

In a further variation, the drop safes of the present invention caninclude both long-range communication to the central server, asdiscussed earlier with reference to the various figures, and furtherinclude Bluetooth communication (as discussed above in the“disconnected” versions of the drop safes).

The drop safes of the present invention may be sized to hold variousnumbers of deposited Smart Bags. In some instances, the drop safe can bea relatively large drop safe or a relatively small drop safe, each sizedto meet any customer need. The relative size of the chassis may vary asappropriate.

In a variation, the form of the codes discussed herein may be different.For instance, in one version, the employee may gain access to a dropsafe by having the barcode on his/her badge read by the barcode/QR-codescanner/reader of the drop safe. The badge may include a QR code orother type of computer-readable indicia that identifies the employee,and the scanner/reader of the drop safe is able to read such other typeof computer-readable indicia. As another example, the OTA code isdescribed herein as being in the form of a QR-code. However, in avariation, the OTA code is either a different form or is displayed bythe messenger's mobile device in a different form. Other suitablecomputer-readable forms of codes may be employed. In yet anothervariation, rather than employing a barcode/QR-code scanner/reader withinthe drop safe, a different type of scanner may be employed. Forinstance, in one variation, the drop safe includes a camera along withsuitable software, including computer vision-type software, to identifythe scanned image (whether it is displayed by the messenger's mobiledevice as the OTA code or other thing that is scanned by the drop safeas discussed herein) or to extract data embedded or otherwise includedwithin the item being scanned. The processing of the scanned image maybe achieved within the drop safe or by the central server, or adifferent processing system, or collectively by any of these processingsystems.

Overview of General Benefits and Advantages of Invention

In addition to the benefits mentioned above (and some of those benefitsare repeated below), the drop safes are modular in design andconfigurable to accommodate the particular needs of individual retailersor the collective needs of multiple retailers. The present inventionfurther provides a level of future-proofing to enable the deployment ofnewer technologies through the defined interfaces(physical/electrical/logical). The cost to assemble a drop box of thepresent invention is lower than current systems that entail customdesign to accommodate specified needs. The drop safes of the presentinvention are reconfigurable by simply replacing one component withanother, without moving the entire drop safe to a service location and,in most instances, without having to move the drop safe at all. Sincethe time and cost to move an installed drop safe is significant, thepresent invention advantageously allows the drop safes to be repaired,upgraded, emptied, and serviced with minimal interruption to theoperations of retailers. As explained in detail above, a drop safe thatdoes not include bill validators (i.e., a Brink's Box) can bereconfigured to include bill validators (i.e., convert to a B-Safe) withminimal time and effort.

The drop safes of the present invention also advantageously takeinventory of their contents regularly and/or during particular steps inthe various processes as described herein. In certain embodiments, byemploying Smart Bags that include RFID tags, the drop safes are able toimmediately identify via RFID means the Smart Bags that have depositedand, moreover, are able to immediately identify Smart Bags that haveremoved from the chassis, whether authorized or not. Unauthorizedremoval of a Smart Bag is detected (e.g., when a Smart Bag is improperlyremoved through the bag drop slot) and authorized removal of Smart Bagsis detected (i.e., when a messenger properly empties a drop safe). TheRFID reader that is employed within the drop safes of the presentinvention is capable of reading the RFID tags of all the Smart Bagswithin the chassis, no matter how many are in the chassis, in just a fewseconds. This advantageously enables the drop safes to re-inventorytheir contents at any time. Since the RFID antennae are inside the dropsafe's chassis, the likelihood that the RFID reader unintentionallyscans an RFID tag that is outside the drop safe is exceedingly low.

The doors of the drop safes of the present invention include a limitednumber of components, in particular, a bag drop slot, a digital lockand, in the case of a B-Safe, bill validators. In the otherembodiments/variations described, only or two additional components areincluded. It is appreciated that a drop may include, within the door, asignificant number of components to allow the retailer to carry out anumber of activities and functions.

However, in the various embodiments described, the door includes nopickable lock, no handle, and no physical combination system to unlockthe door. The hinges are internal and designed so that a door can beremoved from the drop safe's chassis, as discussed herein. The dooradvantageously can be replaced with another door in a relatively shortperiod of time and without special tools. Still further, in yet otherembodiments of the present invention, the drop safe may include a doorhandle, a physical combination system, and/or external hinges, and suchembodiments still include some, if not all, of the novel featuresdescribed herein.

The tech shelf of the present invention advantageously hold the bulk ofthe electronics. The tech shelf itself is a modular component of thedrop safe and is easily and quickly replaceable, if necessary, withoutsignificant (or any) interruption to a retailer's operations. Aserviceman with little to no specialized knowledge of the drop safe isable to replace a damaged tech shelf with a new or refurbished techshelf fairly quickly. Tech shelves may be upgraded from time-to-timerather easily and, again, with little to no interruption to theoperations of the retailer. Replacement of a tech shelf is alsoaccomplished without accessing the contents of the drop safe's chassis,thus providing yet additional security to its contents. The tech shelfemploys a cabinet that advantageously does not interfere withcommunication between the drop safe (via the tech shelf) and the centralserver during operation.

The drop safe of the present invention doesn't include or require akeyboard, keypad or input panel. All or nearly all communication fromretailers, messengers and service personnel is via remote means such asconnected smart devices, PCs and the mobile devices of thoseindividuals.

By employing a modular design, and with each of the three majorcomponents weighing under 150 lbs, the entire drop safe (in anyconfiguration) can be mailed to a retailer, in three separate packages,without the need to use a special freight carrier. Hence, the componentsof the drop safe may be mailed via a commercial carrier, such as Fed Exor United Parcel Service, and then a service personnel can quicklyassemble the three components and configure the drop safe within arelatively minimal amount of time. The door and chassis in nearly allcommercial drop safes are permanently fixed. The present invention,however, provides multiple advantages as discussed by having a door andchassis that are detachable.

Use of the drop safes of the present invention can be done with minimalcontact to the drop safe. Likewise, a drop safe may be emptied withminimal contact and, in some versions, with no contact to the currency.

Other benefits are as described herein or would otherwise be appreciatedby those skilled in the art.

The present invention employs various individual components that arewell understood in the art. For instance, an RFID reader is wellunderstood. As another example, a bill validator is well understood. Asa further example, a digital lock is well understood. Accordingly,descriptions of the design and detailed functionality of variouscomponents are not provided in order to not obscure the discussion ofthe invention herein, except where particularly necessary for anunderstanding of the present invention. Discussions of the constructionand operation of certain types of drop safes with some of the componentsdiscussed herein are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,695,038; 5,975,275;5,944,163; 8,645,214; 8,844,804; 9,495,705; 9,911,108, and U.S. PatentApplication Publication Nos. 2009/0006249; 2009/0222381; and2018/0293649, all of which are assigned to the assignee of the presentapplication, and are incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

The following table, which identifies reference numbers in the figuresalong with the names of the corresponding components, is provided merelyconvenience, and is not intended to limit the scope of the presentinvention. The names of various elements are selected for convenienceand ease of reference.

TABLE # Element Name  10 Brink's Box Drop Safe  20 B-Safe Drop Safe  30Small Form Factor Cash Recycler Safe 100 Chassis 110 Dropped ItemSensing 120 Storage Area 130 Customer Storage Compartment 140 ChassisInner Walls 150, 152 Cables 160 Locking Pins 170 Bracket 172 MountingRails 174 Cabinet Portion of Mounting Rail 176 Cable Connectors 180Latch Plate 182 Cabling Harness 184 Mounting Rails 190 Pin 200 Door(Brink's Box Version) 210 Drop Door Mechanism 220 Digital Lock and BoltWork 222 Door Interface 230 Edge of Door 240 Hinge Knuckles 250 HingeSleeve 252 Upper Hinge Knuckle 254 Lower Hinge Knuckle 300 TechnologyCabinet (Tech Shelf) 310 System Controller & Com. Module 312 AuxiliaryController Board 320 Dropped Item ID & Auth. Module 322 Set ofConnectors 330 User & Dropped Item Auth. Module 340 LCD Screen/Button350 Cabinet 360 Light Strip/Diffuser 370 Power Supply 372 Screws 374Cables 376 Power Connector 378 Air Vents 380 Technology Shelf 382Recessed Area 384 Mounting rails 400 Door (B-Safe Version) 410 Drop DoorMechanism 420 Digital Lock and Bolt Work 422 Door Interface 430 BillValidators 440 Hinge 442 Bin 444 Bin Liner 450 Door (Recycler Version)460 Drop Door Mechanism 470 Digital Lock and Bolt Work 480 BillDepositor 482 Bill Dispenser 490 Hinge 500 Smart Bag 510 Bag 512 PrintedBarcode 514 Printed ID # 520 RFID Tag 600 Retailer 610 Drop Safe 620Manager's Mobile Device 700 Cash Processing Facility 710 Central Server720 Messenger 730 Messenger's Mobile Device 750 Retailer's Bank

Having described the present invention including various features andvariations thereof, it is intended that the appended claims beinterpreted as including the embodiments described herein, thealternatives mentioned above, and all equivalents thereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of creating a deposit into a drop safeplaced at or near a retailer location that includes a bag drop slot andis adapted to communicate with a remote central server; the methodcomprising: receiving, by the central server, deposit information from amobile device, the deposit information including at least an identity ofa thing of value to be deposited into the drop safe; receiving, by thecentral server, an ID of a deposit bag that includes the thing of valueto be deposited; creating, by the central server, a deposit recordassociated with the ID of the deposit bag and that includes datapertaining to the deposit information received from the mobile device;receiving, by the drop safe, either an identity of a person to depositthe deposit bag into the drop safe or the ID of the deposit bag;unlocking, by the drop safe, the bag drop slot based on the receivedidentity of the person or the received ID of the deposit bag; receiving,by the drop safe, the deposit bag; verifying, by the drop safe, that thedeposit bag is within an internal storage space of the drop safe afterreceiving the deposit bag; communicating, by the drop safe to thecentral server, upon verifying, that the deposit bag is within theinternal storage space of the drop safe.
 2. The method of creating adeposit of claim 1, wherein the thing of value is an amount of money;and the method further comprises arranging, by the central server, toprovide a monetary credit to the retailer in accordance with the amountof money in the deposit bag based on the deposit information in thedeposit record that was received from the mobile device.
 3. The methodof creating a deposit of claim 1, wherein, the drop safe receives theidentity of the person by scanning a code on a badge of the person, thecode representing the identity of the person; the method furthercomprising: transmitting, by the drop safe, the scanned code to thecentral server; ascertaining, by the central server, the identity of theperson based on the transmitted scanned code; and ascertaining, by thecentral server, if the identified person is authorized to use the dropsafe and, if so, transmitting an unlock instruction to the drop safe;wherein unlocking, by the drop safe, of the bag drop slot comprisesunlocking the bag drop slot upon receipt of the unlock instruction fromthe central server.
 4. The method of creating a deposit of claim 1,comprising: receiving, by the central server from the mobile device, arequest to access the bag drop slot of the drop safe; ascertaining, bythe central server, the identity of the person based on one or morecommunications from the mobile device; receiving, by the central serverfrom the mobile device, data identifying a current location of themobile device, determining, by the central server, whether the currentlocation of the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of alocation of the drop safe; ascertaining, by the central server, if theidentified person is authorized to access the bag drop slot based on atleast the ascertained identity of the person and whether the currentlocation of the mobile device is within the predetermined distance ofthe location of the drop safe, and, if so, transmitting an unlockinstruction to the drop safe; wherein unlocking, by the drop safe, ofthe bag drop slot comprises unlocking the bag drop slot upon receipt ofthe unlock instruction from the central server.
 5. The method ofcreating a deposit of claim 1, wherein verifying, by the drop safe, thatthe deposit bag is within an internal storage space of the drop safecomprises imaging the deposit bags within the internal storage space ofthe drop safe, and identifying the ID of each of the deposit bags fromthe imaging.
 6. The method of creating a deposit of claim 1, whereinverifying, by the drop safe, that the deposit bag is within an internalstorage space of the drop safe comprises obtaining an ID of each RFIDtag within the internal storage space of the drop safe, each IDassociated with a respective deposit bag, and identifying from theobtained IDs the ID of the deposit bag that is associated with thecreated deposit record.
 7. The method of creating a deposit of claim 6,wherein obtaining the ID of each RFID tag within the internal storagespace of the drop safe is carried out by an RFID reader, placed outsidethe internal storage space of the drop safe, in communication with atleast one RFID antenna placed within the internal storage space of thedrop safe.
 8. The method of creating a deposit of claim 1, comprisingreceiving, by the drop safe, a plurality of deposit bags, each of theplurality of deposit bags including a respective RFID tag; and the stepof verifying comprises identifying IDs of the RFID tags of all of thereceived deposit bags via an RFID reader placed outside the internalstorage space of the drop safe in conjunction with at least one RFIDantenna placed within the internal storage space of the drop safe. 9.The method of creating a deposit of claim 8, comprising ascertaining ifa deposit bag dropped within the drop safe is removed from the drop safebased on data regarding the identified IDs obtained during a series ofidentifications over time of the IDs of the RFID tags within the dropsafe.
 10. The method of creating a deposit of claim 1, wherein the thingof value is an amount of money; the method further comprising: creating,by the central server, a respective deposit record that corresponds toeach of the plurality of deposit bags; and arranging, by the centralserver, to provide a monetary credit to the retailer in accordance witha total amount of money in the plurality of deposit bags received by thedrop safe based on created deposit records.
 11. The method of creating adeposit of claim 1, comprising receiving, by the central server from themobile device, an identity of the mobile device; and verifying theidentity of the mobile device corresponds to an authorized employee ofthe retailer associated with the drop safe.
 12. The method of creating adeposit of claim 1, comprising receiving, by the central server from themobile device, data identifying a current location of the mobile device;identifying the drop safe associated with the current location of themobile device; and associating data received from the mobile device withthe identified drop safe.
 13. The method of creating a deposit of claim1, comprising receiving, by the central server from the mobile device,data identifying a current location of the mobile device; and including,by the central server, the identified current location of the mobiledevice within the created deposit record.
 14. The method of creating adeposit of claim 1, comprising receiving, by the central server from themobile device, data identifying a current location of the mobile device;identifying a drop safe nearest to the current location of the mobiledevice; and communicating data to the mobile device regarding theidentified drop safe nearest to the current location of the mobiledevice for subsequent conveyance to a user of the mobile device.
 15. Themethod of creating a deposit of claim 14, wherein the data communicatedto the mobile device regarding the identified drop safe nearest to thecurrent location of the mobile device includes navigation instructionsfrom the current location of the mobile device to the identified dropsafe.
 16. A system, comprising: a drop safe, disposed at or near aretailer location, that includes a bag drop slot and an internal storagespace; a central server, disposed remote from the drop safe, having atleast one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that,when executed, by the at least one processor, cause the central serverto: receive deposit information from a mobile device, the depositinformation including at least an identity of a thing of value to bedeposited into the drop safe; receive an ID of a deposit bag thatincludes the thing of value to be deposited; create a deposit recordassociated with the ID of the deposit bag and that includes datapertaining to the deposit information received from the mobile device;the drop safe configured to: receive either an identity of a person todeposit the deposit bag into the drop safe or the ID of the deposit bag;unlock the bag drop slot based on the received identity of the person orthe received ID of the deposit bag; receive the deposit bag within theinternal storage space; verify that the deposit bag is within theinternal storage space of the drop safe after receiving the deposit bag;communicate to the central server, upon verifying, that the deposit bagis within the internal storage space of the drop safe.
 17. The system ofclaim 16, wherein the thing of value is an amount of money; and thecentral server is configured to provide a monetary credit to theretailer in accordance with the amount of money in the deposit bag basedon the deposit information in the deposit record that was received fromthe mobile device.
 18. The system of claim 16, wherein the drop safeincludes a scanner and is configured to receive the identity of theperson by scanning, via the scanner, a code on a badge of the person,the code representing the identity of the person; the central serverconfigured to: receive the scanned code transmitted by the drop safe;ascertain the identity of the person based on the transmitted scannedcode; and ascertain if the identified person is authorized to use thedrop safe and, if so, transmit an unlock instruction to the drop safe;the drop safe configured to unlock the bag drop slot upon receipt of theunlock instruction from the central server.
 19. The system of claim 16,wherein the central server is configured to: receive, from the mobiledevice, a request to access the bag drop slot of the drop safe;ascertain the identity of the person based on one or more communicationsfrom the mobile device; receive, from the mobile device, dataidentifying a current location of the mobile device, determine whetherthe current location of the mobile device is within a predetermineddistance of a location of the drop safe; ascertain if the identifiedperson is authorized to access the bag drop slot based on at least theascertained identity of the person and whether the current location ofthe mobile device is within the predetermined distance of the locationof the drop safe, and, if so, transmit an unlock instruction to the dropsafe; the drop safe configured to unlock the bag drop slot upon receiptof the unlock instruction from the central server.
 20. The system ofclaim 16, wherein the drop safe includes an imager within the internalstorage space, the drop safe configured to verify that the deposit bagis within the internal storage space via imaging the deposit bags andidentifying the ID of each of the imaged deposit bags.
 21. The system ofclaim 16, wherein the drop safe is configured to obtain an ID of eachRFID tag within the internal storage space of the drop safe, each IDassociated with a respective deposit bag, and identify from the obtainedIDs the ID of the deposit bag that is associated with the createddeposit record.
 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the drop safeincludes an RFID reader disposed outside the internal storage space ofthe drop safe and at least one RFID antenna disposed within the internalstorage space of the drop safe, the RFID reader communicativelyconnected to the at least one RFID antenna.
 23. The system of claim 16,wherein the drop safe is configured to receive a plurality of depositbags, each of the plurality of deposit bags including a respective RFIDtag; the drop safe comprising an RFID reader disposed external to theinternal storage space of the drop safe and at least one RFID antennadisposed within the internal storage space of the drop safe, the RFIDreader adapted to identify IDs of the RFID tags of all the deposit bagsdisposed within the drop safe via the RFID reader in communication withthe at least one RFID antenna.
 24. The system of claim 23, wherein thedrop safe is configured to ascertain if a deposit bag dropped within thedrop safe is removed from the drop safe based on data regarding theidentified IDs obtained during a series of identifications over time ofthe IDs of the RFID tags within the drop safe.
 25. The system of claim24, wherein the thing of value is an amount of money; the central serverconfigured to: create a respective deposit record that corresponds toeach of the plurality of deposit bags; and arrange to provide a monetarycredit to the retailer in accordance with a total amount of money in theplurality of deposit bags received by the drop safe based on createddeposit records.
 26. The system of claim 16, wherein the central serveris configured to: receive an identity of the mobile device; and verifythat the identity of the mobile device corresponds to an authorizedemployee of the retailer associated with the drop safe.
 27. The systemof claim 16, wherein the central server is configured to: receive, fromthe mobile device, data identifying a current location of the mobiledevice; identify the drop safe associated with the current location ofthe mobile device; and associate data received from the mobile devicewith the identified drop safe.
 28. The system of claim 16, wherein thecentral server is configured to: receive, from the mobile device, dataidentifying a current location of the mobile device; and include theidentified current location of the mobile device within the createddeposit record.
 29. The system of claim 16, wherein the central serveris configured to: receive, from the mobile device, data identifying acurrent location of the mobile device; identify a drop safe nearest tothe current location of the mobile device; and communicate data to themobile device regarding the identified drop safe nearest to the currentlocation of the mobile device for subsequent conveyance to a user of themobile device.
 30. The system of claim 29, wherein the data communicatedto the mobile device regarding the identified drop safe nearest to thecurrent location of the mobile device includes navigation instructionsfrom the current location of the mobile device to the identified dropsafe.